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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727609">The Things We Lose Always Come Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xMischiefManagedx/pseuds/xMischiefManagedx'>xMischiefManagedx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Something Worth Fighting For [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Possible Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Snape is Harry's biological father</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:15:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xMischiefManagedx/pseuds/xMischiefManagedx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Severus Snape receives a mysterious parcel and letter telling him of Harry's true parentage, the two are put on the unexpected path of acceptance and discovery as their lives come together in a way neither of them could have foreseen and unlikely bonds and friendships develop.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter &amp; Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Something Worth Fighting For [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>280</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Shocking Revelation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was during the late August of 1995 that Severus Snape received a package for which he would forever be thankful for. It was the summer holidays and he was spending it in the grim isolation of his home on Spinner’s End brewing potions and attending every Death Eater meeting he was called to. Despite the fact that he hated these meetings and wished he didn’t have to attend, he would later consider this summer as one of the best summers of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On one particularly bright August morning, Severus was reading his book in one of the comfortable armchairs in the lounge when he was disturbed by a peculiar though familiar tapping on the window. He looked up, his face twitching slightly with irritation, and glanced at the window. Severus felt a twinge of recognition as he saw a barn owl outside, perched on a small parcel on the window sill, which was clearly to be delivered to him. He put his book down and pulled the window open. The owl fluttered inside, dropping a letter and the package on the couch, and then landing comfortably on one of the side tables. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus gave the owl another glance before offering it an owl pellet from a dish on the side. He then returned his attention to his delivery, wondering what on earth it could be. He picked up the letter first, and sliced it open. He unfolded the letter, and was gifted with the writing of the woman he missed most dearly in the world:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My dearest, Severus,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If you receive this letter, all our plans have fallen through, and Dumbledore hasn’t sought to rectify them. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>I prepare this letter and parcel so that shortly after Harry’s fifteenth birthday you will know the truth once more, and so will Harry. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Severus, you and I were married, and Harry is our child. When you began spying for the Order, we decided that to protect him, we would have to remove your memories and James would protect me and Harry. To an onlooker, it would appear James and I were married and Harry was ours, especially after the glamour I put on him to make him look like James. What you need to know though, is this was all fake. I loved you and Harry loved you. He didn’t connect with James the way he connected with you. Not that he needed to. If you are receiving this letter, Sirius is still Harry’s godfather. We needed to make it so that it would look believable and I’m sorry for any pain this will cause you now. Hopefully the war is over when you get this too. I know this is a lot of information for you but I want you and Harry to have a relationship. He needs a father. Speaking of our son, when this letter reaches you, he will experience changes to his appearance as the glamour disappears. He truly is his father’s son. You’ll see. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to say too much. The vials included in the package will recover your memories and allow you to remember everything that really happened. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just know that we both loved him so much, and he will be loved again when he finds out you’re his father. I know you will protect him and do your best for him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you, Severus, </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Always</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Lily.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus slipped down onto the sofa, hardly daring to breathe. He could not believe it. The pampered Potter boy was his son? The boy who had made his life a living hell? The boy for whom he had made life a living hell?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, Severus reached over towards the larger package, pulling away the brown paper carefully, his hands trembling, something they had not done for many, many years. Inside were two ornate wooden boxes. He ran his long fingers over both boxes and then opened the smaller, square one. On velvet cushioning sat two wedding rings, both with the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>Always</span>
  </em>
  <span> engraved on the golden band. Hesitating, he picked up the one that looked like it belonged to him and placed it on his ring finger. He stared down at it for a moment, a tingling in his fingers, as if its magic was reconnecting with his. It was almost as if he could feel the bond he made with Lily running through his blood and bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, he opened the rectangular box which was still sitting in the packaging on his lap. A glass vial filled with a greyish coloured liquid sat in this box and he diligently took it out, not wanting to smash it. He headed for his study where he kept his pensieve. He emptied the vial into the shimmering bowl and then brought his head down to meet the memories which were finally about to be restored to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus rifted through over a hundred memories of himself and Lily and their son, who was actually called Harry Snape: he saw the day he married Lily, which had been witnessed by only James, Dumbledore, and Frank and Alice Longbottom; he saw the day she told him she was pregnant, the joy in their eyes as Severus twirled her around the room and then rested his hands on her stomach; he saw the day his son was born, the bright emerald green eyes, which reflected his mother’s, staring up at him; he saw the day that Harry crawled - that was the day Severus had gone to a death eater meeting and got back late but his family had waited up for him, Harry not settling until he got home, and Severus was the only one could get him to fall asleep that night; he saw the day the memories were taken from him to protect his family whilst he spied for the Order and attempted to protect them from the prophecy’s predictions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled back at the final memory, struggling to breathe as he was returned to </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>life, and was struck by the many emotions he felt at this one time. He was shocked and yet anger swept through him like a raging fire. For the last fourteen years, his life had been a lie. He had been left with the barest minimum and Dumbledore hadn’t even bothered to tell him the truth and return the memories that would have been his saviour from the resentment he had built up at both the world and Harry, specifically. He should have known better all those years ago than to trust Dumbledore with the most important thing in his life - his family - and he would sure as damn not do it again. He could feel his anger spilling over onto Harry - the boy who seemed to be always upending his life - but as soon as he felt this, guilt washed over him. Harry didn’t know the truth, and this in turn made Severus angrier. The boy had been living under the pretense of false parentage and this needed to be rectified. But why would Harry accept him? There was no way that Harry would want Severus for a father after the abhorrent way he had treated him. He felt anger at himself then, but also a new sensation came over him. An overwhelming need to protect the boy and to love him as he had done all those years ago instead of resenting him for the sins of James Potter who he apparently wasn’t even related to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Severus recovered his memories and experienced a whole heap of emotions, the feelings of love, in the heart he had once thought he no longer possessed, came out on top. He stared around the room in which he was so often isolated, and couldn’t stop the thoughts that next summer, this room might be occupied by two people instead of one. As he considered this, Severus decided he would waste no time in visiting Harry. He needed to correct what had happened fourteen years ago and start on the path to reconciliation and forgiveness with his son. Knowing what he knew now, he wanted every moment possible with Harry and even though he knew that most of their history was hatred, Severus knew he would seek to change that for as long as it might take for Harry to trust, and hopefully one day, love him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus grabbed his black cloak as he stepped out of the door, pulling it over his shoulders and apparating to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.</span>
</p><p>                                                                                               ********************</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Harry had just woken up in his room at Grimmauld Place and was reaching over for his glasses sitting on the bedside cabinet. He groaned as he sat up, though was thankful to note that Ron was already up and out of the room. He was looking forward to the return to Hogwarts in three days time where he hoped that he wouldn’t feel so under scrutiny as he did here, particularly since the hearing. He tried to stay out of the way as much as possible though was often forced to join the Weasleys and Sirius, and sometimes other Order members in cleaning the house to make it more liveable. He didn’t mind doing this - he just wished he could do it on his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran a hand through his hair, though was surprised to note that it didn’t feel as rough and messy as it usually did. Instead, it felt softer, straighter. Harry just shook his head, climbing out of bed and heading to the bathroom across the hall. He washed his face, wiping it with a towel, and then looked in the mirror. He was startled by what he saw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry’s bright green eyes stared back at him before they raked over the rest of his face. His usual messy mop of hair was now much tamer, and a slightly darker black. The child-like roundness of his face had almost been completely replaced by a much sharper jawline, and there was a certain distinction in his face that had certainly not been there before. Harry didn’t quite know how to process these sudden changes - he certainly hadn’t felt them happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the sound of a murmuring from the hall, Harry turned to look at the door. He heard the house elf Kreacher’s voice muttering something about Mudbloods and Blood Traitors, but chose to ignore him. Returning his gaze to the mirror, Harry looked at himself more intently. Some of these features reminded him of someone, and he frowned in concentration though he found he couldn’t place where he had seen them before. This bothered him for the best part of ten minutes before he heard Mrs Weasley shouting for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry, dear, where are you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In the bathroom, Mrs Weasley,” Harry called back, before saying, “I’m not feeling very well today. Think I’m just going to try and get a bit more sleep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you poor dear,” Molly said, her voice right outside the door now, “Is there anything I can get you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, thank you. I just don’t want to be disturbed unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, well, come on down if you feel a bit better later on,” she said, and he heard her footsteps fade away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gave himself one last glance, irritated by the fact that he couldn’t think who he looked like, and then hurried back into his bedroom. He crawled under the covers, glad of an excuse to stay in bed and not yet have to face the people downstairs. He was tired of the constant watchfulness they had placed him under, and the pressure he felt at their glances. He knew they wanted him to talk about Cedric but this was something he couldn’t face, at least not with them. He could feel the pity in their eyes but he didn’t want their pity. He wanted to be left alone, and that was the only thing they wouldn’t grant him. He wanted quieter company, and someone who could understand the darkness he felt inside himself right now, someone who might be able to understand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry pressed his face further into the pillow, now anxious about the changes in his appearance on top of everything else. What did they mean? And did he really want to find out?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is my first work so any comments or suggestions would be welcome. This is a WIP and will be updated every Sunday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Reconnecting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Harry had just dozed off again when there came a soft knock on the bedroom door. He ignored it and pulled the duvet further over his head in the hope that whoever it was disturbing him would soon go away. He had no such luck. The knock came again and then his godfather’s voice came from the other side of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, how are you feeling? You have a visitor,” Sirius said, his voice strangely bitter to Harry’s ears and he wondered what had put him in such a foul mood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry just groaned and said, his voice still filled with sleep, “Is it important?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He says it is,” was the condescending reply, but Harry knew this wasn’t aimed at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Professor Snape,” Sirius bit out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That explains that then</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thought Harry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>the presence of Snape is enough to annoy anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Harry could feel his own irritation rising at the thought of his dreaded Potions Master on the other side of the door, and he was reluctant to let him in. However, this was Snape and he doubted he had a choice in the matter. There was no way he was going to be able to get out of this encounter and he didn’t feel like he had the energy to fight his professor on this. But then there was the problem of his appearance. He couldn’t let anyone see the changes his body had so recently and quickly gone through, at least not until he worked out what was happening to him and what to do about it. Thinking quickly, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak from his school trunk which was sitting at the bottom of the bed and then turned to face the wall, legs crossed in front of him. He was fully aware that this was going to look strange and cause suspicion, but the last person he wanted to see him like this was Snape (he’d probably accuse him of being attention seeking again) and it wasn’t like he had any other choice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll see him,” Harry called through the door, “but only him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could hear the confusion in Sirius’s voice as he said, “You sure, Harry? I can sit in with you both, or wait outside?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay. I can always yell if he tries to murder me,” Harry replied, his drawl sarcastic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard harsh utterings exchanged on the other side of the door, and Harry sighed in frustration as he waited. Then it was over and he heard the door click open and shut before soft footfalls crossed the wooden floorboards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry?” said Severus softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry froze, bewildered by this sudden addressing. Never in all his life had Snape called him by his first name, nor had he spoken to him with any kind of civility, let alone gentility. It had always been ‘Potter’ or some other derogatory term that he thought suitable for him. It had never bothered him and he had never thought much of it - the Dursleys had been much the same - but now, well, this was something the Dursleys had never done. And though he didn’t want to admit it to himself, he couldn’t push out the intruding thought that told him that he liked this sudden new tone his professor had used for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, assuming it was an accident, Harry replied, “I’m here” from under the cloak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus looked over at the place where Harry’s voice had come from and then understood where he was, and why he was hiding. He crossed the room to Harry’s bed and then hesitantly sat on the edge of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt the bed dip and a sudden, unexpected wave of anger washed over him. What gave Snape, someone who had bullied and belittled him for the last four years at Hogwarts, the right to sit on the bed with him, like someone who cared about him? He almost revealed himself before he remembered why he was hiding in the first place. Instead he gripped the cloak tighter around himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was startled out of this anger when he heard Snape say, with a shake of trepidation in his voice, “Harry, I know about the changes to your appearance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Said boy was silent for a moment, contemplating the words of his professor. He quickly decided that if Snape did already know, the best way forward would be honesty, especially if they were to try and avoid the inevitable argument they were bound to have, even if Snape was playing nice right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you take off the cloak?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted the man to see him as he looked now, even though the man already seemed aware that he was going to look different. This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Snape</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he had never really trusted him before, despite Dumbledore’s constant insistence of his virtue. But then Snape had never called him Harry before nor had he spoken to him with any sort of respect like he was doing now. There was no mocking, and his voice didn’t sound like it was filled with dislike as it usually did. It seemed that his appearance wasn’t the only thing that had changed. He considered it for a moment longer and then he was struck with the unforeseen yet overwhelming instinct to trust him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hand shaking, Harry gripped the cloak and tugged it off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the fact that Harry was turned around, Severus could see some of the changes which had affected Harry, most specifically his hair which no longer looked like the bird’s nest it had done previously. Instead his once unruly hair had taken on the soft and wavy texture of Lily’s and was now a richer black than it had been, courtesy of himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slightly nervous as to what changes Harry’s face had experienced, Severus said, “Will you face me, Harry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He noticed Harry hesitate but then something seemed to tell the boy to do as he asked and he watched as Harry heaved a breath before swivelling around to face Severus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For both, the connection was undeniable in an instant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus, who had been expecting some changes, immediately saw himself in the boy who had once looked like James. There was no sign left of him now though. The face he saw before him now seemed more natural, and he could only think that Lily did too good a job of the glamour for them all to have missed that he was wearing one. With the lift of the glamour, Severus saw not only some of his own features, but also more of Lily’s: Severus thought Harry was the perfect mixture of the two of them, and was grateful to see that he had not inherited his nose but instead the smaller delicacy of Lily’s. In looking at Harry now though, Severus also saw things that hadn’t changed about the boy but were now more obvious to him. Like the fact that Harry was a lot smaller than he remembered, and a lot skinnier too. He seemed to sit hunched in on himself, as if trying to make his already petite form even tinier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry, on the other hand, immediately became unsettled and cautious when he turned to face the Potions Master. As his green eyes found Severus’s face, he saw not only a much kinder and calmer expression on his face than he was used to seeing at Hogwarts, but also some of the attributes he had noticed in his own face that same morning. The man sat in front of him looked similar to what an older version of himself might appear like and his jaw dropped as he moved slightly further backwards on the bed, wondering why he looked more like Snape than James Potter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By Harry’s reaction, Severus knew that something in Harry’s brain had made the connection between his own face and Severus’s. He looked away from the boy for a moment, allowing him a moment to process his current thoughts, and played idly with the cuff of his shirt sleeve before looking back at him and saying, “I think we need to talk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded blankly, struggling to find words in this strange situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From his cloak, Severus pulled the letter and vials he had received that morning and lay them on the bed in front of Harry who looked to Snape questioningly. He just nodded to the objects, giving Harry permission to examine them. He picked up the letter first and carefully unfolded it. Severus watched as a mixture of emotions flit across Harry’s face: mostly outrage, shock, and confusion. Severus knew how he felt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What - what does this mean?” Harry managed to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus inhaled a breath and then said, “It means, Harry, that you are my son.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Dumbledore knew?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And he never thought he should tell us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re lying,” Harry said suddenly, as if the truth was dawning on him, “This is a fake and you’ve done something to me, to make me look like this. And you’re being nice to me, to get me to trust you. I should have seen this sooner. If this was real, you would have been disgusted by the fact that I was your son.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not lying, Harry. I promise. This was from your mother, and I only just received it this morning. I would never sink to this level of revenge on anyone, especially not when I know how much you value family. I know I have treated you appallingly in the past, and I have given you no reason to trust me, none at all, but all I ask, Harry, is that you trust me now when I say that you are my son and I am most certainly not disgusted by this fact. I was shocked, yes, and angry at first at those involved. But knowing this now...I just want to build with you the relationship we should have had in the first place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Harry looked at him, his eyes filled with suspicion and defiance. He wasn’t sure whether Snape was lying or not, it wouldn’t be the first time his intuition was wrong. He let what Snape said sink in, processing everything he had said: the fact that he seemed to know how much Harry longed for family; that Snape seemed to almost regret the way he had treated Harry before now; the fact that he isn’t disgusted by Harry, as the Dursleys were, and wanted a relationship with him, unlike the Dursleys who didn’t. He felt something inside him die, and resign itself to the facts being presented to him. He did look like Snape, there was no way he could deny that, and if Snape was truly a Death Eater then surely he would have already found a way to hand him over to Voldemort. </span><em><span>And</span></em><span>,</span> <span>Harry thought, </span><em><span>If Snape really wanted to get revenge, this isn’t the way he would do it. He would have been too revolted at the thought they were related to do that</span></em><span>. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was unprepared for the question Snape asked him next: “What about you, Harry? Are you disgusted because I am your father?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry considered this question. Was he repulsed by this recent development? It wasn’t exactly as though Snape was treating him horribly just now. In fact, he had been kind and he seemed to Harry to be genuine. He wondered if it was this that was bothering him most about the situation. Snape had never been one to lie to him. Sometimes he appreciated the brutal honesty with which Snape treated him, even if the professor was sometimes misinformed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not disgusted, no,” Harry said, thoughtfully, “I mean, I’m not going to lie and say you would have been my first choice if there had been one, but Mum’s letter, if it is actually her letter...well, she clearly loved you and I suppose I probably did too when I was a baby, even though I don’t remember.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mother loved you as well, never doubt that. And I know I loved you too, when I knew you were mine...I must apologise, Harry, for the way I have previously treated you. I know you’re not who I made you out to be. Except for your ability to find trouble, you’re nothing like him and deep down I knew this but I just couldn’t see past the fact that you were James’s son. And I’m sorry - there’s no excuse for my behaviour. I was jealous and petty because you weren’t mine and Lily’s. And it hurt that you looked so much like him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you don’t need to be jealous or bitter about any of that anymore,” Harry said in response, as he was engulfed by a surge of pity for the man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess not,” Severus agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An awkward silence fell between them then, and Severus watched as Harry looked down at his own hands which were entwined together on his lap. Severus could tell he was clearly unsure of where to take this conversation next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to speak to Dumbledore about this,” Severus said after an uncomfortable minute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and said, “I’m really angry we weren’t told about this.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I am too. I’m sorry I didn’t know sooner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault,” Harry said, surprising both of them when he jumped to Severus’s defence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence again before Severus said, “I must ask you, Harry, and I’d like you to be honest with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up, and nodded cautiously when he said, “Okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus took another breath and said, “Would you like to try and develop a relationship with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry’s emerald green eyes met Severus’s black ones. He could tell that the man before him was trying to remain neutral about the situation but Harry could tell that there was something different in Snape’s eyes to what he usually saw there. They conveyed none of their usual hatred for him, but something entirely different - something that Harry thought almost looked like longing. He could almost believe that Snape wanted this, but Harry wasn’t sure if he himself did. For the past four years, their relationship had been one of pure hatred and nothing else. How could they come back from this? But then he remembered all the times Severus had done his best to protect him and his friends, however begrudgingly he might have done this at the time. Harry realised he had never thanked him for this before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I think about it?” Harry asked, nervously, hoping the new kindness the man was bestowing on him wouldn’t suddenly go away. He had found he quite liked this side of Snape. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you may think about it,” Severus said. He was just relieved it hadn’t been an outright no. “Do you want to see the memories?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hesitated and then shook his head. “Maybe another time, but I think I just need to process everything else first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus inclined his head and said, “I understand that, Harry. What I do want you to know though, Harry, is that even if you refuse my offer, you may come to me at any time, about anything at all. I know things haven’t been easy with us, but I would like for you to be able to trust me, at least. I know things were hard with the hearing and...Diggory’s death.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry just nodded at this, so Severus decided to drop it and instead continued the conversation by saying, “Sorry. How - how long do you think you’ll need?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Harry said, hurriedly, “I really appreciate that. I’ll have an answer for you when I’m back at Hogwarts.” He offered the professor a small smile then and was pleasantly surprised to see it faintly returned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Now, Harry, in the meantime, I think it might be prudent to reapply your glamour,” Severus said, though he was reluctant to do this. It was nice seeing Harry look as he was truly supposed to be. As his son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry held still as Severus performed the complicated charms on Harry’s face and hair which would return him to the boy Severus had known at Hogwarts. He felt a slight disappointment as he went back to being the spit image of James, but knew that right now it was for the best. Severus reached out to touch Harry, but quickly pulled his hand back. Harry had never seen Snape so unsure of himself and it made for interesting viewing, but Harry couldn’t deny that he understood how he felt. He didn’t think either of them had felt more awkward in all their lives. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Severus said, suddenly, standing up, “I’ll see you at Hogwarts.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, see you at Hogwarts, Professor.”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus nodded at him and then swept out of the room, his robes billowing out behind him as always.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sat back on his pillows and stretched his legs out before him. He couldn’t decide what he was more shocked about - the fact that Snape, the hated Potions Master of Hogwarts, was apparently his father, or that he had managed to have a civil, almost emotional, conversation with the man. He had certainly seemed honest, and there was no way Harry could deny the similarities there had been in their appearances. There was also the fact that he had memories to show him. Harry sighed, trying to process everything that had happened that day. It felt like a nightmare - he wondered if this is what it was. He had been having a lot of strange dreams recently - primarily about a peculiar door at the end of an unknown corridor but when he reached the door was unable to open it. But Harry didn’t think heads ached as much as his did right now in dreams - he certainly wasn’t in this much physical pain when he revisited the incident in the graveyard from last year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry curled up into himself, into a ball so tiny he almost resembled a baby mouse. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and numb his mind from all the thoughts spiralling through his mind and out of control. He felt like a very confused spider, attempting to build a web to trap its prey - but there were pieces missing, strands unattached, and the prey kept escaping its grasp. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted this or not. Everything was changing so quickly. For years he had hoped for another family member to steal him away from the Dursleys, desperate for the love of a parent he saw so often in the Weasleys, the Grangers, and hell, even Malfoy’s parents. He had long since given up on this dream. But now, the opportunity for a family was a word away. The one thing he had always wanted was waiting for him. But it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Snape</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Was it really a good idea, trying to build a relationship with someone who had hated him since he could remember? And then he recalled how Snape had spoken to him today, remembered how he almost believed that Snape could care for him, and he wondered if this was what was scaring him most. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry screamed into the pillow as his head pounded with pain and anger and fear and an overwhelming urge to attack someone or something. He hated himself for feeling all of this, hated what he seemed to be becoming, but he didn’t know how to make it stop. And right now that was all he wanted: he wanted to stop feeling anything at all.  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is my first work so any comments or suggestions would be welcome. This is a WIP and will be updated every Sunday. Thank you for the positive response so far.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Severus's Wrath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for the positive response so far, it's really appreciated. This is the original planned update but will have an added bonus chapter. Hope you enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>From leaving Harry at Grimmauld Place, Severus found a quiet London alley and immediately apparated to Hogsmeade. He had been well aware that Harry would not instantly accept him as his father and the boy deserved a chance to think over everything they had learned that morning, however, while Harry considered Severus’s offer, Severus had another affair to resolve. He was still angry at Dumbledore, and it seemed Harry was too, and for good reason. He was the only person alive who had known, before now, the truth about Harry’s true parentage and by not telling them he had stolen from both of them many happy years they should have had together. Instead Harry had to be raised by the Dursleys, Lily’s disgusting relatives, and had known only hate from him. Instead of protecting and loving him, he had shown only cruelty and loathing, and pushed the boy away when he should have been able to trust him. Now he knew the truth, Severus wanted nothing more than to erase their history and restart, building the relationship they should have had in the first place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The afternoon sun dwindled pathetically in the cloudy sky, its presence there feeling almost pointless as it flickered weakly in the haze. The streets of Hogsmeade were mostly still, but for the odd passerby and the incessant chatter coming from the Three Broomsticks. Striding towards Hogwarts, Severus sent his doe patronus ahead of him to alert the headmaster that he was on his way to the school and needed to see him at once. He made his way through Hogsmeade as fast as he could, thankful for the lack of people around on this dull day. Finally, he reached the gates leading up to the school, the winged boars seeing him inside the grounds, and he hurried up towards the great oak doors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On entering the castle, Severus took the quickest route to the seventh floor, passing the familiar portraits lining the walls and the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. Some of the portraits felt that they had a right to comment on his urgent manner, wondering why the usually calm and collected Potions Master of Hogwarts was now just the opposite. It took all of Severus’s self-control not to use a silencing charm on them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he reached the large gargoyle statue which marked the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, he gave the password “Fizzing Whizbees” and stepped onto the revolving staircase when the statue moved to admit him. At the top of the staircase, Severus didn’t stop to knock and instead just stormed right in; Dumbledore knew he was coming and he didn’t think Dumbledore deserved the consideration anyway, not after what he had done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore didn’t even look up when the door thudded open and Severus went to stand in front of him. He continued scratching his quill across a piece of parchment, his glasses perched on the end of his nose, his other hand buried in his long beard. This didn’t stop Severus from pursuing his purpose though. He wanted answers and right now nothing was more important to him than trying to remedy everything that they had all done wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me  that Harry is my son?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus didn’t even blink. He just scribbled an ending to his letter and set it aside to dry before turning his attention to Severus. His face wore a stern expression yet Severus noticed the twinkle in his eye which always meant trouble and which sparkled with mischief at the thought of doing what Snape considered to be Dumbledore’s favourite hobby: manipulating people. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe you are an intelligent enough man to be able to work that out for yourself, Severus,” Albus said, feigning kindness, “Sherbert lemon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Apparently not,” Severus said, staring down at the small bowl of yellow sweets Dumbledore was now offering to him, “Nothing gave you the right to keep Harry from me. And no, I don’t wish for one of those abhorrent sweets.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore tilted his head as if accepting Severus’s argument and placed the bowl down before saying, “In all honesty, Severus, your attitude towards him suggested you didn’t want the boy.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus’s nostrils flared, and he slammed his hand down on Dumbledore’s desk, “Of course I wanted him - he’s my son! Don’t play dumb with me, Albus!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Severus’s wedding ring sitting on his finger on the hand still placed upon the desk. He looked back up at Snape and said, “And what of your position as a spy? Don’t you think that abandoning your role in this war makes everything we’ve been working towards pointless? Lily’s death unnecessary?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus opened his mouth to speak, but promptly closed it again. No matter how angry he was at how Albus had handled this whole situation, he couldn’t argue with this logic. He had made a valid point - if Voldemort found out the truth, his place as a spy would no longer be valid, the whole war effort would be for nothing, as would Lily and Potter’s deaths. Harry would be in even more danger, as would he, and he couldn’t protect his son if he was buried under the ground. But he couldn’t let Harry go now he had just found him again either, not unless that was what Harry wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus was watching Severus carefully. It bothered him how observant the man was sometimes - he was brilliant, yes, but this didn’t mean Severus had to like it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to be Harry’s father,” Severus said, quietly, “If he wants me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, Severus, I want that too,” Albus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape scoffed. The man might be brilliant, but Severus was skilled at being able to tell when people were lying. Of course Albus didn’t want Severus and Harry to form a relationship. That would go against the perfect Golden Boy image that the headmaster was trying to build for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Albus insisted, “But we are at war, Severus, and now Voldemort’s back, we are all more vulnerable than ever, Harry most of all. If you truly want to protect him, you need to remain a spy for the Order and continue with what we have all been working to accomplish - the end of Voldemort’s reign of terror.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus ran a hand over his face. He knew the older man was right, though he wished with his whole being that he wasn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment, and then, “Does Harry know?” Albus continued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus nodded, and said, “I told him this morning. In fact, I came straight over here from speaking to him.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another silence and then, “Lily had another plan in case the first one fell through?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Snape said, bitterly, his anger returning in full force, “Thankfully. Were you ever planning on telling us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lily was a very intelligent witch,” Albus mused, “It’s a shame Harry has had to grow up without her.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fresh wave of anger shook through Severus at Dumbledore’s efforts of sentimentality. Of course he cared that Lily had died, but he didn’t care how this impacted Harry - he had him exactly where he wanted him. But he saw an opportunity to try and override Dumbledore and he took it, “And you think he should continue to grow up without a father?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but what you must understand is I did what I thought was right at the time,” Albus explained, “I suppose Harry is wanting to try and develop a relationship with you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what about now? Now that Harry and I both know the truth?” Severus asked, trying to control himself, and then added, almost timidly, “And I don’t know yet. He hasn’t decided.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I won’t stop you if he decides he wants to,” Albus said, “But I must ask you to make your choice wisely. With Voldemort back, another war is inevitable and we’ll need as much inside information as we can get in order to defeat him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if I can do both?” Severus asked, “What if I can be Harry’s father and a spy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, I won’t stop you,” Albus said, leaning back in his chair, “Though if you were to do that, your relationship would need to be known by few people -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry would probably prefer that at first anyway,” Severus interrupted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” said Dumbledore thoughtfully, and then “Tell me about your morning with the boy, Severus.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus hesitated. He didn’t want to tell Dumbledore about his conversation with Harry. It had been heavy with the weight of their history sitting between them, and it had been emotional, the loss of stolen years hanging over them. On top of that, Harry had the right to privacy, Merlin knew he wasn’t going to get it from anyone else, and he thought that Harry might want to keep the talk they had between himself and Severus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, Albus, but that is between Harry and I.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk as he joined his fingertips together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus -”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Albus, I am not discussing this with you. And after hiding the truth from us for the last fourteen years, I don’t really think you deserve to know, do you?” Severus snarled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus didn’t have an answer for this, or if he did, he stopped himself from responding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their discussion was stifled for a few uncomfortable moments before Albus finally said, “Well, how did the boy seem to you, Severus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus frowned, and asked, “What do you mean, Headmaster?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was his mood like?”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“How you’d expect it to be when you found out your father is actually alive but your least favourite school teacher,” said Severus, acidly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus,” Dumbledore reprimanded, softly exasperated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus rubbed his brow and then said, “I don’t know. Despondent, I suppose? And overwhelmed. But, I’m serious, Albus - it’s hard to tell how much was coming from these recent developments between us and what might have been something else.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore bowed his head, and then said, “Let me know what Harry decides, will you, Severus?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Albus,” Severus said reluctantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything else?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus was rendered near speechless by Albus’s careless and nonchalant attitude to the situation though it gave him all the evidence he needed to believe that he was right when he thought Albus had had no plans to tell either him or Harry the truth. It was clear that he had no regrets at the way he had handled everything so far - he had not even offered any sort of apology -  and this infuriated Severus; the headmaster’s lack of concern for anything but the war and the “greater good” sickened him - Harry was a boy, he wasn’t supposed to be a weapon in the war, and he had every right to a family that loved him if that was what he wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus stood up, and headed for the door prior to looking back at Albus who was now pulling another piece of parchment towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes, Albus, you disgust me,” Severus said, and slammed the door shut behind him as he left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*******************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore rose to stand by Fawkes when Severus had returned him to his solitude. He absentmindedly ran his hand over the red and orange plumage, Fawkes cooing quietly at the contact. His gaze landed on the window as he stared out at the Hogwarts grounds and thought over his conversation with the Potions Master. He was relying heavily on both the roles of Harry and Severus to ensure that they won this war. He had never intended to take the truth to the grave but this earlier than planned discovery just meant that his own job in this war was going to be far more difficult. He had plans for the war, plans for Severus and Harry; he had secrets which could not yet be revealed, and restricted information which was now going to affect both of them. His best hope right now, if he wanted to keep his plans in place, was that Harry would choose not to view Snape as his father and their relationship would carry on much like it had done before they had discovered the truth. If he was honest with himself though, he should have foreseen Lily’s actions. Of course, she would have another plan in place in case something went wrong. As her nature, she had been right, and Dumbledore had overlooked her once again. However, if Harry did choose to accept Severus as his father, then he was almost certainly going to have to rethink some of his current schemes. Now they already knew the truth, he didn’t want to employ any unorthodox methods to make them forget it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus recalled the day of Lily and Severus’s wedding. He was pleased at their union, glad that they had managed to find some love and comfort in one another, even while there was a war going on. But he had needed Severus as a spy. He was an accomplished occlumens and well experienced in hiding his emotions; he was a Slytherin and had a dark past - there really was no one better for the job, Dumbledore had thought. He hadn’t expected Lily to fall pregnant nor the prophecy that led the family to their later decision. He had wanted to wait until after the war, when Severus could be relieved of his spy duties, to tell them the truth, or at least tell Snape the truth anyway. He hadn’t wanted them to know beforehand mainly because there was too much risk of both Severus’s position as a spy and the role in the war Harry would take up later being compromised. This unexpected development was certainly going to make everything a lot more difficult for him, but he comforted himself in the meantime with the knowledge that Harry had not yet agreed to pursue a relationship with Severus; he doubted Harry would want to anyway, not after Severus’s attitude towards him over the past four years. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Relishing in this hope, Dumbledore moved to sit back down behind his desk, and pulled his bowl of sherbet lemons towards him. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Nothing to Lose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bonus chapter tonight, enjoy! :) </p><p>Disclaimer: Some of the lines have been taken directly from the Order of the Phoenix novel.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Harry awoke for the third time that morning, his mind was swamped with broken images of his dreams: a flash of green light, Cedric’s still body; Snape emerging from the cauldron in the graveyard, rather than Voldemort, his black robes twisting out towards Harry in an attempt to pull him closer as his mother stood to the side watching as Snape declared him as his own son and pulled him into a fatherly embrace (this recollection made Harry smile briefly though he was unaware of it); and then that same wretched mysterious corridor he kept finding himself stuck in. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself before finally going to join everyone downstairs. He walked slowly down the stairs, nervous about seeing everyone, worried that even though Snape had put his glamour back in place everyone would be able to see right through him and see his true appearance. He hesitated outside the kitchen door, wanting nothing more than to turn around and go back upstairs, but he forced himself onwards, knowing that he couldn’t hide from them forever. He pushed open the kitchen door to the sight of Ginny watching Ron (whose mouth was full of a bite of sandwich) and Hermione bickering with an amused smirk on her face as they all sat at the table, and Mrs Weasley and Sirius bustling around the kitchen cleaning dishes from lunch. Mrs Weasley was the first to notice Harry standing there, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, dear, how are you feeling?” Mrs Weasley said, smiling at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, thanks,” Harry said, taking a seat next to Ginny at the table who tilted her head slightly at Ron and Hermione and grinned. Harry grinned back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did Snivellus want?” Sirius asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t know how he felt when Sirius used Snape’s old school nickname. If this morning hadn’t occurred, he might have found it funny but now, he didn’t like it at all. Snape had been kind to him this morning and if Sirius thought this about Snape, what would he think about Snivellus’s son? His grin fell away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er, nothing important,” Harry said as Mrs Weasley put a plate of sandwiches in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he bothered you for nothing?” Sirius said, his voice raising slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry picked up a sandwich and said, “It’s fine, Sirius. It was...important, it just...doesn’t matter all that much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But saying this felt like a betrayal to his feelings and to Snape. Of course it had mattered, it was one of the most important conversations he had had in his life. He wanted to tell Sirius about it, for Sirius to reassure him on how to feel. He wanted Sirius to tell him that it doesn’t matter who his father was, that Snape was a good man and would look after him if that was what he wanted. But it was perfectly clear to him that he couldn’t do this. There was too much hate between Sirius and Snape and it was pointless mentioning it to Sirius if nothing was going to come of this discovery. He needed proof that it was real first, and then he could worry about everything else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Harry intercepted him and said, “Just drop it, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius closed his mouth and turned away from Harry, muttering under his breath. Harry rolled his eyes, and took a bite of his sandwich. He wasn’t in the mood to argue with Sirius - it wasn’t the first time they had had small disagreements recently, particularly as his return to Hogwarts approached. He recalled what Hermione had said earlier that week about his bad mood, that he hadn’t wanted Harry to go back to Hogwarts, wanting Harry to stay with him at Grimmauld Place, and then the following comment of Sirius mistaking him for James. At the time, it hadn’t bothered him, but now with the possibility that he wasn’t James’s son, he felt dirty and tainted. It was like Snape had said, he wasn’t actually anything much like James at all. Except for constantly getting into trouble, but he reckoned that was just because the name Harry Potter and trouble came hand in hand. He was deceiving all his friends, and he felt guilty. Shaking his head, he tried to rid himself of these thoughts. He looked up to see Ron and Hermione staring at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron raised his eyebrows and said, “So…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gave him a questioning look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What Ron is trying to ask, Harry, is what did Snape want?” Hermione said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I literally just told you all that it doesn’t matter,” Harry said, his voice trembling slightly in frustration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But mate -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious!” Harry said, “And if I want to tell any of you later, I will, but it’s really none of your business and not important right now, so can you all just leave it?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watched as Ron and Hermione exchanged a look, and then glanced up at Sirius who looked uncomfortably down at the dish he was holding. Harry sighed and put his sandwich down, pushing the plate away from him, and left the kitchen. He heard chairs scraping across the wooden floorboards behind him and then Mrs Weasley say, “No, just stay there! You heard him, give him some time and space.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry headed back upstairs, feeling a surge of gratitude towards Mrs Weasley, and into his room where he flopped down onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, consumed by the amount of questions and thoughts his mind began to bombard at him, all related to the same topic: Snape as his father. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                           ****************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the last day of the holidays, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry all finally received their Hogwarts letters for the coming term. The letters were extremely late this year, something Fred and George claimed was because of the struggle Dumbledore had had finding a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. They tore open their envelopes, and pulled out the usual sheets of parchment telling them that term starts on the first of September, and the list dictating all the required books for the coming year. After reading through his list, Harry looked towards Ron and Hermione, wanting to ask them about </span>
  <em>
    <span>Defensive Magical Theory</span>
  </em>
  <span> by Wilbert Slinkhard, but both were distracted by something shiny sitting in the palms of their hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up with you two?” Harry asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione looked up at him then, grinning broadly, and said, “We’ve been made prefects!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She thrust her hand out to him and he took from her a badge engraved with the gryffindor lion and the letter </span>
  <em>
    <span>P</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a symbol which showed her rank as a prefect. He swallowed back a lump in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry, and handed the badge back to her. He looked at Ron then who had shown no sign of hearing his question. Fred and George were standing either side of him, looking almost disgusted by the badge sitting in Ron’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect. I’m surprised Dumbledore didn’t pick you, Harry,” George was saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Fred said, “Harry causes too much trouble - he’s got his priorities right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs Weasley shoved the twins out of the way then and enveloped her youngest son in her arms, squeezing him tightly, and saying, “I’m so proud of you, Ron! This is such wonderful news, just wait until your father hears…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t hear any more. He slunk out of the kitchen, nobody noticing him amidst all of the excitement of Ron and Hermione being made the new Gryffindor prefects. He felt bad about the bitter resentment he was currently feeling at not being made one himself because in truth he hadn’t really cared about the position before. If he was honest, he didn’t really think much of prefects at all. And then as he walked down the many corridors of his mind, he realised that it wasn’t his friends he was angry with at all. They hadn’t asked to be prefects. What was bothering him about the situation was that Dumbledore had overlooked him. Again. Dumbledore hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him anything about the Order of the Phoenix or the war effort; he had ignored Harry’s desperate attempts to speak to him at the hearing, instead treating him as though he was invisible; he had not been bothered enough about Harry to tell him the truth about who his real father was; amd now Dumbledore had once again decided he could not trust Harry, even as a prefect. A hot surge of rage shook through his body. He was tired with the way Dumbledore had been acting with him since the beginning of the summer, resentful about the way Dumbledore insisted on treating him like a child despite everything he had done and been through. Surely he could be a prefect, if he could duel Voldemort in a dark graveyard and watch Cedric…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cedric had been a prefect</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The thought came unbidden into Harry’s mind and he longed to push it out. The rage was suddenly gone, and instead an inundating sense of grief and longing came over him. Would Cedric have been disappointed in him at missing out on the chance to become a prefect or would he have laughed and pulled him closer to him, saying only that he caused too much trouble like Fred and George had?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sped up the stairs, swallowing thickly, and then punched his fist into the wall. He cradled his hand to him and continued walking up to the attic where Buckbeak the hippogriff was staying. He hadn’t expected to find Sirius up there feeding him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Harry,” Sirius said, and then he frowned, “Everything okay?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry went to stand next to him and watched Buckbeak devour a ferret. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you a prefect?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius barked a laugh and then said, “No. James and I were in detention far too much. Remus and your mum were the Gryffindor prefects our year, the teachers’ pets they were. Never managed to control me and James though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius gave him an inquiring look and then said, “I heard Ron got the badge, but listen, Harry, you’re not missing out. Being a prefect is not much to be proud of, and if you think not being one diminishes your worth, then you’re wrong.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled at him then, and then asked, hesitantly, “What about Snape?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Why do you care?” Sirius asked sharply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just curious,” Harry said, wishing he hadn’t asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He wasn’t one either,” Sirius said shortly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sirius?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he answered gruffly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just wondering if you had any old letters from Mum,” Harry said, an idea occurring to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius gave him an odd look and then beckoned him out of the attic and took him into his own room. The room was plastered in great red and gold Gryffindor banners and muggle pictures, all, Harry supposed, which Sirius used to declare his differences from his family loudly. There were also moving photographs, most of them of four boys who Harry immediately recognised as younger versions of Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus. He stared for a minute at one of the four arm in arm walking down a street in Hogsmeade, all of them wearing huge grins, and Sirius holding a bag from Honeydukes Sweet Shop. When a rush of guilt overcame him, he quickly turned away and looked at Sirius who was now knelt on the floor rummaging through a small chest. Harry went to kneel next to him and Sirius handed him a bunch of old letters which were yellowing with age. The bundle was held together with frail rope and Harry ran his hand over it, before offering Sirius a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius shook his head, and then said, “No bother. Any reason for this?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I just...I don’t always hear a lot about Mum and I just want to feel a bit closer to her,” Harry said, shrugging.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you just ask questions about her?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry blushed in embarrassment and then just shrugged again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sirius stood up then and said, “Put them back when you’re done.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and Sirius left him there, kneeling on the musty wooden floorboards of his bedroom. His hands trembling, Harry pulled away the rope and fumbled with the first letter. It was all the evidence he needed. In the same handwriting of the letter that Snape had let him read that morning was a letter beginning </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Padfoot</span>
  </em>
  <span> and describing his first birthday. Snape hadn’t been mentioned but he wondered if he had been there celebrating with James and Lily. Harry rummaged through the other letters, all in the same handwriting. Harry leaned back against the foot of Sirius’s bed. So it was true: Snape was his father. He found that he took great comfort in knowing that Snape wasn’t lying. He even felt pleased. Over the last couple of days, he had been spending a lot of time pondering whether he wanted a relationship with Snape or not and he found in all of his debating, he did, however odd this thought seemed to him. He just knew he wanted a family and Snape had seemed like he really wanted this too. Harry thought about the way Snape had spoken to him that day, and remembered that it had felt nice. He wanted to experience that again. And if it all went wrong, it wasn’t exactly like he had anything to lose. It wasn’t like their relationship could get any worse. He just hoped that Snape hadn’t changed his mind about wanting this too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stood up, happy with his decision, and brushed the dust from his legs. He had friends to congratulate. And as Harry walked back downstairs to join the celebrations Mrs Weasley was sure to have set up for her son, he realised that it didn’t matter that he hadn’t got the prefects badge. He had got a father. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Return to Hogwarts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sight of the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express filled Harry with the forgotten sense of belonging and comfort: he was grateful to be returning to the familiarity of the castle, even more so after his near expulsion earlier in the summer. He said his goodbyes to the Weasleys, the Order, and Sirius (who was in his animagus form) before boarding the train. However, before Harry even reached Hogwarts, he was aware of a shift in dimensions even here. Looks and whispers followed him wherever he went and he remembered what the Order had told him about the slander he and Dumbledore were facing at the hands of the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet. Worse than this accusing behaviour though, was that, as Prefects, Ron and Hermione had train duties which prevented them from riding the train with him to the school, and despite joining a compartment with Ginny, Neville, and Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw girl in Ginny’s year, he felt strangely alone. He had never undertaken the journey to Hogwarts without either one of his best friends before, and he experienced a weird feeling of disconnection, as if he wasn’t really returning to Hogwarts at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This feeling remained when they reached Hogsmeade and it wasn’t the half giant Hagrid and his broad grin gathering the first years together and greeting the other students with a friendly wave of his hand. Instead it was the Care of Magical Creatures cover teacher they had had for a few lessons the previous year, Grubbly-Plank, who had taken up this role, though she lacked Hagrid’s welcoming grace. Harry searched desperately along the platform looking for Ron and Hermione, feeling severed from the joys Hogwarts usually gave him. Hagrid always managed to make him feel better, and he knew Hagrid would always have his back, but his big friend wasn’t there, and he felt like he was drifting through an alternate universe, a universe in which even Hogwarts lacked warmth and cordiality.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he slowly found his way over to the carriages which would take the students up to the school, his thoughts remained with Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione. He just wanted one glimpse of Ron’s red hair, or Hermione’s bushy mane, or to hear the booming of Hagrid’s voice carrying across the grounds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was startled out of these thoughts by his sudden observation of large, skeletal horse-like creatures hooked up to the school carriages, preparing to pull them up the long dusty road towards the castle. Their wings were tucked into their sides, and hooves scuffed the ground as they waited to fulfil their role at the school. He halted at these sights, unable to recall ever having seen these beasts before. He looked around at the people who were passing him, giving him odd looks, but none of them spared a glance towards the creatures. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Harry?” Ron said, concern evident in his voice, placing his hand on Harry’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry spun around, relieved to see a friendly face, and he gave him a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er, yeah, I’m fine. Ron, what are those creatures pulling the carriages?” Harry asked, nodding at the animals. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron looked in the direction Harry had nodded, and then frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What creatures?” Ron said, “The carriages are pulling themselves, like they usually do. You sure you’re okay, mate?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded blankly and Ron gave him a quick pat on the back before heading for the nearest carriage. Harry hesitated for a moment, and wondered vaguely if he was going crazy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” came a dreamy voice from behind him. Harry turned and saw Luna Lovegood approaching him, though looking past him at the carriages. She was easily distinguishable through the crowd with her dirty, blonde hair and butterbeer cork necklace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she stopped next to them, she continued, saying, “I can see them too. You’re just as sane as I am.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry gave her an almost relieved smile. On the train, Harry had found he quite liked Luna, her presence being more than tolerable. Obviously she knew he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Boy Who Lived</span>
  </em>
  <span> yet she didn’t treat him as such - she hadn’t given him any peculiar looks that made him squirm under her gaze nor did she ask any questions about last year. He had the impression that if she had anything to say about him, she would tell him to his face, and he found that he had an unusual instinct that he could trust her. So when she uttered these words to him, he felt a profound affection for her and followed her towards the carriage in which Ron was waiting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                  *************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was with great comfort that he soon found himself tucked between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He kept his head bowed, hunching down as small as he could get, trying to make himself as invisible as possible to avoid unwanted attention. Around him, conversation buzzed with the talk of people’s summer holidays, Parvati and Lavender having an almost squealed discussion of something that had happened over their holidays, and Seamus and Dean catching up on Quidditch. Harry found himself clinging to the sounds of Ron and Hermione’s voices talking across him, nodding or shaking his head slightly when they addressed him, finding that they were helping to keep him linked to reality, reminding him that there were people who believed him, even if it was just them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry avoided looking towards the Hufflepuff table - he couldn’t bear the thought of looking over and not seeing Cedric looking back at him as he had done much of the previous year - nor could he look upwards at the colourful banners on which sat the Hogwarts Crest, reminding him too much of the grey coloured ones they had put up at the end of last year to commemorate Cedric’s death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He eventually found himself looking towards the staff table, a time honoured tradition to see the changes to the staff. He once again noted Hagrid’s absence and felt another pang of loss, the absence of his friend like a blow to the stomach. His eyes continued to rove the table, passing the vacant faced divination teacher, Trelawney; the small though merry charms teacher, Flitwick; the friendly Professor Sprout who taught herbology out in the greenhouses; and then his eyes fell on a familiar toad like woman dressed all in pink with large bow sitting in her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s that Umbridge woman!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione abruptly stopped talking about classes, surprised at Harry’s sudden outburst. He inclined his head towards the staff table and she and Ron looked curiously along the table to spot the only new face at the staff table that year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who is she?” Hermione asked, having now spotted her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione frowned, and Harry recognised the inquisitive look on his friend’s face which usually meant she was one step, or more, ahead of him. Harry exchanged a quick look with Ron, who shrugged, and was just about to ask her what she was thinking when Grubbly-Plank sat down in Hagrid’s seat and the Great Hall doors swung open, admitting Professor McGonagall and many small and terrified looking first years. McGonagall set down the stool and battered, old hat she had been carrying and the rest of the hall fell silent as the hat began to sing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hat began its usual tirade of explaining the qualities of the four Hogwarts houses, but then took a surprisingly dark turn as it spoke of how the school came to be divided and how it was now more important than ever to reunite the four houses and come together to face the tyranny outside of the castle. When its song was finished, the great hall was quiet for a moment before the applause broke out, though for once there were scattered whispers and murmurs to friends all around the hall. Harry exchanged a look with Ron and Hermione and then turned his attention back towards the sorting, welcoming all the new Gryffindors into the house with applause. Once all the students were sorted, Dumbledore got to his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making but this is not it. Tuck in!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Plates of food and jugs of pumpkin juice suddenly appeared on the tables and chatter burst out around the hall once more. Ron immediately began filling his plate with as much as he could, while Hermione had a less urgent manner and carefully selected her favourite foods while maintaining a healthy amount of vegetables. Noticing Harry had touched nothing but a goblet of pumpkin juice, Hermione spooned some potatoes, roast beef, and carrots onto his plate. He rolled his eyes at her, but smiled to let her know he was grateful for her looking out for him and then lifted his head. He looked across the hall where his gaze met Draco Malfoy’s who was staring over at him from the Slytherin table. Harry felt uncomfortable under his gaze and so gave him a swift smile before looking back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though Harry had appreciated Hermione loading his plate with food, he quickly found that he wasn’t hungry and after eating a few small potatoes, he gave up, offering the food on his plate to Ron who thanked him and scraped it onto his own plate greedily. He was pleased to see that when pudding arrived, treacle tarts remained in the selection of the various pies and cakes and other sweet treats. Harry reached for a treacle tart, however just as he was about to select one, he suddenly remembered something which made him immediately draw his hand back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was drawing closer to curfew the night before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament and Harry was waiting for Ron and Hermione in the library. They were yet to turn up and he wondered where they were as they had arranged to do some last minute preparation for the task. He was just about to give up on his waiting when Cedric appeared in the library carrying a brown paper bag. Harry glanced around the library and then, because it was safe, flashed Cedric a grin. The Hufflepuff boy sat next to him, his eyes dancing playfully as he opened the bag under the table. Harry licked his lips at the sight of four delicious looking treacle tarts and reached in for one. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What brought this on?”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I was worried about you. We haven’t got to spend that much time together recently, and I thought you’d probably be stressed about the task. Thought these might cheer you up,” Cedric said softly, reaching in for his own treacle tart. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You were right,” Harry said and took a bite of the pastry. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They sat in silence, working their way through the pastries as silently and rapidly as they could in fear of the librarian noticing them, but once again they had underestimated Madam Pince’s sixth sense.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Food in the library!” she squealed, as she rounded a bookshelf and spotted them, “Out! Get out!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Harry and Cedric jumped to their feet, Cedric grabbing Harry’s hand. He pulled him out into the corridor where they leaned against the wall, laughing. They sat down against it and finished the tarts. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you,” Harry said, looking across at Cedric next to him and smiling gently. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cedric leaned forward, and brushed a crumb from the side of Harry’s mouth with his thumb, before capturing Harry’s lips against his, both of them tasting of honey and sugar and blissful sweetness.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Anything for you,” he murmured against Harry’s lips.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry let out a shaky breath, and his eyes fluttered closed. He completely missed the looks of worry Ron and Hermione traded with each other, and Hermione was just about to nudge Harry when the desserts all vanished from the table and Dumbledore got to his feet once more, the noise around the hall hushing at once. Harry opened his eyes at this sudden change of volume and his eyes looked towards the headmaster who had begun his speech with the usual warnings about not entering the forest as it was out of bounds to students, and not to use magic in the corridors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was applause and then Dumbledore continued, “Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he was broken off by a high pitched clearing of the throat and Umbridge rising to her feet as if intending to make a speech. Dumbledore sat down, acting as though he was pleased by this development, however none of the other teachers had learned to hide their discontent feelings: Sprout’s eyebrows were raised in outrage and McGonagall’s lips were tightly pursed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Headmaster,” Umbridge simpered, “for those kind words of welcome.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry did try to listen to her speech at first, but he found it went on a lot longer than was really necessary. He glanced around the hall and noticed that he wasn’t the only one not paying attention: Lavender and Parvati were whispering almost conspiratorially together; Cho Chang was talking to her friends; Ron’s eyes had drooped half closed; it was obvious to Harry that she had no one’s attention. Except maybe Hermione’s. It seemed everyone was thankful when she finally ended her speech, and many people were smirking at each other, all of them clearly thinking that this woman could not be taken seriously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Dumbledore finished making announcements, Hermione turned to Harry and Ron and said, “That was certainly illuminating.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sounded like a load of waffle to me,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle,” Hermione responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was there?” Ron said disbelievingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“How about: “progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged”? How about: “pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited”?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, what does that mean?” said Ron impatiently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It means the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts,” Hermione said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again, Harry did not have time to answer. There was sudden movement all around them and the trio realised that Dumbledore must have dismissed the school. Ron and Hermione remained seated by Harry for a moment and then hurriedly jumped to their feet as they remembered they were prefects and supposed to be showing first years the way to Gryffindor Tower. Harry smiled as he watched his two best friends gather the first years, proud of his friends for their role as prefects. He remained in his seat, waiting for the crowds to disperse, and trying to ignore the looks people were giving him as they passed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until now, Harry had very carefully avoided looking in Snape’s direction. His stomach churned with anxiety at the thought that perhaps Snape had changed his mind about the situation, and he worried that the kindness Snape had bestowed on him for that time they were together was going to disappear now they were back at school and he would be tasked with dealing with the Snape who had taught him for the past four years. However, when Harry finally stood up to leave, he couldn’t resist looking towards the seat at the staff table which Snape always occupied - he doubted Snape would still be there anyway as he was usually one of the first staff members to leave the crowded hall. But there he was, his posture poised in sophistication, his hair framing his sallow face, his usual black robes swept around him. The man was frowning in his direction, watching Harry leave, but Harry could also see what he thought was an almost imperceptible hint of concern in the man’s obsidian eyes. Harry gave him an unsure smile and watched as Snape’s expression softened slightly and gave Harry a nod. Harry lingered slightly, one foot slightly in the air, and then turned away and darted out of the hall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry was glad to have waited until most people had left the hall, enjoying the peace of wandering through the familiar hallways alone. He missed Ron and Hermione, but it was nice to be away from those stares and whispers which had been aimed at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he reached Gryffindor Tower, Harry headed straight for the dormitories, not in the mood for socialising; he knew Ron would know where to find him when he was finished with his prefect duties. Neville, Dean, and Seamus were already there, unpacking their belongings and hanging posters up on the wall, but when he walked in a quick silence fell over the room, and Harry had a nasty feeling that they had been talking about him. He awkwardly sat on his usual bed and began untying his shoelaces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Harry said uncertainly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good holiday, Harry?” Dean asked him, though he didn’t look at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugged, and then pulled his shoes off his feet as he said, “You?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright - better than Seamus’s, anyway,” Dean responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me mam didn’t want me to come back,” Seamus said abruptly, his voice shaking slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What - why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose...because of you,” Seamus said, “and Dumbledore.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She believes the Daily Prophet?” Harry said, his mind piecing everything together, “That Dumbledore’s a fool and I’m a liar?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Something like that,” Seamus responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry said nothing to this. He just sat for a moment before shaking his head and proceeding to change into his pyjamas as he tried to control his rapidly rising temperature. He was tired of this attention and tired of the way people were acting around him, as if he were some sort of contagious disease, as if by being near him the result would most likely end in death. Something stirred inside him, something which felt most unlike him, a demon-like being which was inside him, throwing at him a surge of hatred for himself and everyone around him. Harry took a deep breath and pulled the curtains shut around his bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, what did happen the night when, you know...with Cedric Diggory and all?” Seamus asked, ignoring Harry’s obvious clue that he wanted to be left alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry jumped out of bed, yanking back the bed curtains. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How dare he mention Cedric, how dare he question his story on the way Cedric died.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you just read the Daily Prophet like your mother? That’ll tell you all you need to know,” Harry retorted, his voice sounding strange to his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have a go at my mother,” Seamus snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’ll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar,” said Harry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t talk to me like that!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Harry said, his voice ice cold and bitter. He alarmed himself by the way his voice sounded, but he couldn’t stop the monster which was dangerously close to breaking free from him, taking over him, and Harry felt almost nothing like himself. “I’ll talk to you how I want. And if you have a problem sharing the dorms with me, go speak to McGonagall - at least that’ll stop your mother worrying that I’m gonna go all psycho on you.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment and Seamus was just about to turn away when Harry said quietly but threateningly, “Boo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this, Seamus and Dean took a few frightened steps back from him, and even Neville looked fearful. And then Ron was there, and when Harry spotted him in the doorway, it was as if whatever had taken over him was intimidated by him and it disappeared in an instant, grounding Harry back to himself and reality once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Ron asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seamus glanced at Harry and then said, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron looked at Harry then who just shook his head and began to climb back into bed, pulling the curtains around once more. He heard harsh mutterings on the other side of the curtain but paid no attention to them. He crawled under the duvet, feeling shaken both by the argument and at his own behaviour. It felt like, for a moment, something had snapped inside him, forced him to act out, but he didn’t know what and he wasn’t sure if he was just making excuses for himself. One thing was clear though: he had certainly scared Seamus and the other boys. He wasn’t surprised: he had scared himself. Staring up at the ceiling, duvet pulled up to his neck, he bit his lip, anxious about the approaching days. This was one incident. After several others, which he was sure there were bound to be, how would he react. Would this unknown being inside of him take control of him permanently, and essentially become it? What if he was already it? These thoughts plagued him all night, as he began to worry further and further that the school was saying was right: was he just a plague that would kill anyone who came close to him?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Family on the Edge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: some of the lines in this chapter have been directly taken from JK Rowling's Order of the Phoenix.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Harry spent his first lesson of the day thinking about three different things, none of which had anything at all to do with the subject he was currently attending. His first lingering notion was in dwelling on the number of people directing at him doubtful looks and the discovery that Seamus wasn’t the only Gryffindor in his year who didn’t believe him - Parvati and Lavender were also questioning his story and sanity according to Hermione; the second issue was the Quidditch Tryouts Angelina had arranged for Friday which required the whole team to be there, however Harry wasn’t sure he even wanted to play the game anymore: it reminded him too much of Cedric; and the third and most prominent thought running through his head was about how he was going to approach Snape after their next lesson, and what he would say to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was right not to have been worried about missing anything in History of Magic while he processed his other current problems. As the trio headed down to the dungeons for Potions, Hermione was already recounting the most important parts of the lecture and he and Ron had already secured the right to borrow and copy her notes later on in the week. He lagged slightly behind Ron and Hermione, his mind focusing more and more on his Snape problem as they got closer and closer to the classroom, and wanting to delay the inevitable moment in which he would once more face Snape and the truth of his situation. He leaned against the wall as they joined the queue outside Snape’s dingy classroom, throwing his head back and looking at the ceiling, holding his Potions book against his chest. At the ominous creak of Snape’s classroom door opening, Harry immediately straightened his posture though as they filed into the room, Harry couldn’t bring himself to look at the man, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. So anxious about the whole affair Harry was, that even when Snape began to speak, Harry still couldn’t bring himself to look up at Snape.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Settle down,” said Snape coldly, “Before we begin today’s lesson, I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an ‘Acceptable’ in your OWL, or suffer my...displeasure. After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me. I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye. But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell so whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and sooth agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing. The ingredients and method are on the blackboard, you will find everything you need in the store cupboard, you have an hour and a half...start.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt much more nervous during this lesson than he had ever done before. He wasn’t sure if this was because he was so anxious about the discussion he would have to have with the Professor after the lesson or if it was something more, something that felt almost like he wanted to make Snape proud. Since he had decided to accept Snape’s offer, Harry had been trying to imagine what it would be like, making up fantasies in his head about what kind of relationship they would have - it was difficult as he had little to go on in terms of a nice Snape yet he had gradually found himself growing accustomed to the idea of Snape as a father and the kindness he could show when he tried, and now it felt like he wanted Snape to be pleased with his potion, something he had never really wanted since their mutually established enmity in his first year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry tried desperately to get his potion right, but he was struggling to breathe and his head felt like it was being compressed into a tiny ball with no wriggle room. His throat felt tight and he could feel sweat running down his face and his hands were damp with the same substance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion,” called Snape suddenly as he prowled around the classroom looking at the progress of everyone’s potions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked down into his potion and realised it was far from looking as it was supposed to at this point in the method. He felt Snape come up behind him, Hermione, and Ron, sweeping a glance at Hermione’s without comment, and peering into Ron’s with a malicious grin on his face. Harry wiped his hand across his forehead as Snape looked into his cauldron, a horrible smirk on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Potter, what is this supposed to be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt his heart drop into his stomach as Snape used the same disgusted tone he always used when Harry was about, and everything about the situation he had been trying to grow accustomed to suddenly disappeared. He saw a few of the Slytherins look over eagerly at the confrontation between Snape and Harry, but strangely, Harry noticed Malfoy didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Draught of Peace,” said Harry tensely, blushing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me, Potter,” said Snape, “can you read?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few of the Slytherins sniggered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Harry mumbled, his eyes trained on his desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Harry couldn’t look up - he felt angry and humiliated, upset with this turn of events which had thrown his answer to Snape to disarray. He should have known that Snape had not changed and he wouldn’t just do so because he was his son. He had been right to think that Snape could never look out for him like he wanted, like a father should, and he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks as he realised that his own desperate desire for a family extended so far that he would accept Snape for a father, but that this was just a huge joke to said man. Harry could only continue to stare at his desk, trying to resist the urge to run from the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten points from Gryffindor for ignoring the instructions of your superior,” Snape said sharply, “And for your information, you forgot the hellebore, which means this mess is utterly worthless. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Evanesco</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watched glumly, and his lip wobbled slightly as his potion disappeared from his cauldron and Snape left his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those of you who </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing,” continued Snape, who was now standing at the front of the room once more. “Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry quickly tidied up his station as everyone else brought their potions to Snape. He then sat behind his desk, rucksack on his lap. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Ron or Hermione and was grateful when the bell finally rang for lunch and Snape dismissed them. He hurried towards the door as he swung his rucksack over his shoulder, but halted as Snape said, “Mr Potter, stay behind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                      **************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Harry had smiled at him yesterday evening in the Great Hall, the tension in Severus’s heart loosened and he felt almost hopeful that Harry would want to form a relationship with him. However, now as Harry darted towards the exit of his classroom, the boy didn’t even meet his eyes and looked as if he didn’t even want to speak to the man. He was worried now that he just got the wrong impression and Harry just couldn’t bring himself to tell the man that this isn’t what he wanted. Severus’s heart grew heavy with the weight of the approaching rejection but he needed to speak to Harry, even if it was about a decision made that he really didn’t want to hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mr Potter, stay behind,” Severus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus watched as Weasley and Granger lingered slightly next to Harry while Harry just shook his head and urged them on. Then, once they had left, shutting the door behind them, Harry turned back to face him but he continued not to look him in the eyes. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Harry? I thought we could talk about what we discussed at the end of the summer,” Severus said cautiously, not wanting to scare the already nervous boy off, and gestured to a seat in front of his desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the use of the soft tone of voice which was now back in Snape’s voice, the same voice he had used in the summer when they had seen each other, Harry’s head snapped up and his face contorted with rage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious!” Harry shouted, “You just humiliated me in front of the whole class and now you want to talk about this - are you serious?! I can’t believe I actually thought this was a good idea, can’t believe I thought you could actually be nice, can’t believe I was going to say yes! If this is what it’s gonna be like from now on, you know, the ‘be nice to Harry when it suits you, but belittle him all the other times’ ploy then you can do that, but I won’t. I’m out if that’s the case.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus was rendered almost speechless, managing only to gesture to the chair once more and say, “Have a seat, Harry” and taking the one behind the desk himself. He watched as Harry sat down, taking a few deep breaths, and dropped his rucksack to the floor with a thump. Harry wasn’t looking at him again. Instead he looked almost bashful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus leaned on the desk with his elbows and ran a hand over his face, trying to find the right words in which to console Harry and explain why he had done what he did in that lesson. Unfortunately he started with the wrong thing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were going to say yes?” Severus said, his voice hopeful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up and scowled at him, clearly unhappy that this was the thing Severus thought was most important from Harry’s impassioned rant.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus looked away as did Harry as both waited for Severus to think of something else to say. Severus raked his mind through Harry’s speech, trying to pick out the thing that had so clearly upset the boy and when it hit him, he felt like an idiot - he had never felt so foolish in all his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, I am so sorry about my behaviour in class just now - please trust me when I say I most certainly didn’t want to act how I did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gave no signs of hearing, but Severus knew he was listening to him so he continued on, “I know it doesn’t make my treatment of you today right but I did it to keep up appearances. As a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, my sudden changed treatment of you would look extremely suspicious to any Death Eater followers and even Voldemort himself if this got back to him. You must understand the danger we are both in by having this secret. However, this does not change how I feel about wanting you for a son - if you want this, Harry, then I want to be there for you. We just have to feign a lot of hatred for each other in front of others, though it wouldn’t be our true feelings at all. I assure you it was all an act on my part. I want to be your father, Harry, if you want that too. The circumstances will be strange and secret and very few people would be able to know, which is probably for the best at first anyway, so my only question is, do you want this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched Harry pause for a moment, clearly thinking over everything Severus had said and trying to calm down. He felt he could almost see the cogs whirring away in the boy’s mind, and after what felt like a lifetime to Severus, he heard the boy say, so quietly he almost missed it, “I do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Severus smiled, something he did very rarely indeed, but this quiet admission filled his heart with the feeling of something lost returning to him and he couldn’t help but let the boy see how happy he was to hear this answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Harry, thank you,” Severus said, trying to contain his happiness, “Now, there are things to discuss about our situation so do you want to have lunch here with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and finally looked up at Snape whose smile was still sitting faintly on his face. Snape conjured up some sandwiches and pumpkin juice and then said, “I was wondering if you wanted to come down to my office on Friday evenings and I could take you to our quarters, and we can get to know each other better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would be good,” Harry replied, “What time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about 7 o’clock?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Harry said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice from his goblet, “Can I tell anyone at all about this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus hummed and then said, “Currently only Dumbledore, you, and I know. I am planning to inform Madam Pomfrey, solely because I know you end up in the Hospital Wing a lot and I want to be able to keep an eye on your health. She is also a close friend of mine and I trust her with my life...I wouldn’t tell more than two people, Harry, and tell only those you truly trust with it, just in the meantime until Voldemort is defeated and we have started to develop a relationship. I assume that will be Granger and Weasley?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Harry shrugged, and took a bite of a sandwich before putting it back down on his plate. Severus watched as Harry hesitated slightly, his mouth opening and shutting a couple of times.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“If you have any doubts or questions, Harry, now would be the time to voice them,” Severus said gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, and then said, “Sir...you really don’t work for Voldemort, do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus shook his head and said, “No, Harry. I’m only a spy, forced to take the Dark Mark to make sure I made it into his inner circle. My life’s work has been devoted to protecting you and your mother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry bowed his head and then said, “And we definitely have to keep up this ‘act’ in class?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus sighed softly, and said, “It would be wise, yes, as much as I wish we didn’t. Is that okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has to be,” Harry said, “...I really want to try this, Sir, in spite of the circumstances.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do I, Harry, so do I,” Severus said, “Thank you for understanding. And another thing: I was thinking that, in the meantime, so you can see me as more than just your teacher, call me Severus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry swallowed and said, “Okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Severus replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finished their lunch in silence, and though it wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t completely uncomfortable for them either.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once Harry had finished his lunch, he left to find Ron and Hermione with a quick, ‘Bye...Severus.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus said, “Goodbye, Harry. See you Friday at seven.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Harry shut the door behind him, Severus breathed a sigh of relief and could feel his heart swelling with happiness. He felt like he wanted to dance, if that was something he did, but he didn’t so he just sat behind his desk, hands folded over his stomach, and smiled at the ceiling, feeling happier than he had in years. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                *************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry headed for the Great Hall, lost in thoughts about his conversation with Snape, to find Ron and Hermione where they were sat, heads bowed together, clearly talking in harsh whispers and concerned about something. He sat down next to Ron when he got there and they looked immediately relieved at his presence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed, “Are you okay? What did Snape want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I’m fine, Hermione, and you know Snape, just wanted to rub it in my face and give me a very brutal lecture about my incompetence.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was really unfair,” said Hermione, “Your potion wasn’t nearly as bad as Goyle’s; when he put it in his flagon the whole thing shattered and set his robes on fire.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well,” Harry said, shrugging and feeling mildly uncomfortable, “when has Snape ever been fair to me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did think he might be a bit better this year,” Hermione said in a disappointed voice, “I mean...you know...now he’s in the Order and everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Poisonous toadstools don’t change their spots,” said Ron sagely. “Anyway, I’ve always thought Dumbledore was cracked to trust Snape. Where’s the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry was getting angrier by the second. He had never thought he would ever feel the urge to defend Snape and yet here it was in the flesh - Harry feeling rage on his behalf rather, for a change, than his own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think Dumbledore’s got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn’t share it with you, Ron,” snapped Hermione. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron opened his mouth to speak and Harry felt he knew he needed to stop him before he ended up saying something he would regret: “Oh, shut up, the pair of you. Can’t you give it a rest? You’re always having a go at each other, it’s driving me mad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got up and left them to it, heading towards the North Tower for his next class, knowing one thing for certain: he could not trust Ron and his hot headed temper with his secret. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Ministry of Unfortunate Events</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: many of the lines used in this chapter have been taken from JK Rowling's Order of the Phoenix.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Divination passed as it usually did for Harry and Ron: cracking jokes and not at all taking the subject seriously. They made their way down to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom already exhausted, with huge amounts of homework from every class, their first day back nothing like Harry hoped or thought it would be. He was unaware at this point that it was only going to get worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they entered the classroom, Harry found a seat next to Ron with Hermione sitting at the desk next to them. Umbridge was sitting behind her desk at the front of the classroom wearing a fluffy, pink cardigan and a velvet bow in her hair, looking nothing close to prepared for any sort of attack that may occur even outside the school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, good afternoon!” she said, when finally the whole class had sat down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge,” the class chanted back, with the exception of Harry who was slumped in his seat next to Ron at the back, already sick of Umbridge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wands away and quills out, please. Copy down the following,” stated Professor Umbridge as she tapped the blackboard with her wand which was suddenly covered in the writing:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>                                     Course Aims</span>
  </em>
</p><ol>
<li><em><span>Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic. </span></em></li>
<li><em><span>Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.</span></em></li>
<li>
<em><span>Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use</span></em><span>. </span>
</li>
</ol><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbridge walked down the aisles between the desks as the students set to work on writing down the words on the board. She stopped by Harry who refused to look up but paused in his writing, gritting his teeth. When she continued on, he finished writing up the course aims and he watched her head back to the front of the classroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now,” she said when everyone had finished writing, “I should like you to turn to page 5 of Wilbert Slinkhard’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Defensive Magical Theory</span>
  </em>
  <span> and read Chapter One, ‘Basics for Beginners.’ There will be no need to talk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Try as he might, Harry could not get past the first paragraph. The book was so boring that he took none of what he read in and had to keep going back to the beginning of the page. His eyes kept drooping closed as he read and next to him Ron was definitely not reading but twiddling his quill in his hands and just staring at the book. Harry looked at Hermione and was surprised to see her with her hand in the air. He gave her an inquiring look but when she shook her head at him, his gaze found Umbridge who was pointedly looking out the window and most definitely not at Hermione. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It came to such a point though, that because the text before them was so boring, most of the class were watching Hermione’s attempts to get Umbridge’s attention rather than actually reading, and Umbridge had no choice but to finally give in to Hermione’s persistence. Harry certainly couldn’t fault his friend for her patience. Or was it stubbornness? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?” she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not about the chapter, but the course aims,” Hermione said, boldly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry exchanged a look with Ron who looked shocked at Hermione’s questioning of a teacher - it was something so unlike Hermione that if they hadn’t been there they could never have believed it. They turned to look back at Umbridge who now had her eyebrows raised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And your name is?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione Granger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read through them carefully,” said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t,” said Hermione bluntly, “There’s nothing written up there about </span>
  <em>
    <span>using</span>
  </em>
  <span> defensive spells.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a short silence in which many of the students, including Harry and Ron, turned to reread the aims on the blackboard and Harry realised Hermione was right. It was all Defensive Theory, just like the book before him. And that’s when it hit him - they weren’t going to be learning to defend themselves; the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts, just like Hermione had said and they were squashing all attempts of practical defence in an effort to deny any possibility that Harry and Dumbledore were telling the truth about Voldemort’s return. Harry took a deep breath, trying to compose himself as he felt a rising heat spread through his body. He knew he could not afford to lose his temper in front of this woman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Using </span>
  </em>
  <span>defensive spells?” Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. “Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not going to use magic?” Ron exclaimed loudly from next to Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr-?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weasley,” Ron said, thrusting his hand into the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbridge gave him a false smile and moved her eyes away from him, though they lingered on Harry for a brief second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s hand was back in the air, and Umbridge moved away from Harry and Ron to address her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Miss Granger? Is there something else?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Hermione said, “Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t contain his anger and heard himself saying with a shaky voice, “What use is that? If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be in a -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hand</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mr Potter!” sang Professor Umbridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry threw his hand into the air and he noticed many others now had their hands up as well. He watched Umbridge turn away from him and instead address Dean Thomas.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s like Harry said, isn’t it?” Harry heard him saying, “If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I repeat: do you expect to be attacked during my classes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then you are not required to perform defensive spells in the classroom. It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And what is your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was now talking to Parvati Patil, whose hand was in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Parvati Patil, and isn’t there a practical bit in our Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren’t we supposed to show we can actually do the counter-curses and things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“As long as you have studied the theory, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,” said Umbridge dismissively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you telling us that the first time we’ll get to do the spells will be during our exam?” Parvati said incredulously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as you have studied the theory hard enough-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what good’s theory going to be in the real world?” said Harry, his hand in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is school, Mr Potter, not the real world.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So we’re not supposed to be prepared for what’s waiting for us out there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh yeah?” Harry said, his temper almost at its tipping point. He clenched his fists under the table, digging his nails into the palm of his hands as he tried to take back control over his words, but Umbridge’s next words made the blood in Harry’s veins run cold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?” enquired Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, let’s think…” said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, “Maybe...</span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord Voldemort</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways off his stool. Umbridge did not even flinch but instead stared at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face. Deep down, Harry knew he was going too far and he needed to calm down, but the rage taking over him kept him uncaring and glued to his seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone was silent now. No more hands were raised as people found their gazes locked on either Harry or Umbridge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead and is at large once again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is a lie.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is NOT a lie!” said Harry, “I saw him, I fought him!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Detention, Mr Potter!” said Professor Umbridge triumphantly, “Tomorrow evening. Five o’clock. My office.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbridge turned her attention back to the rest of the class and said, “I repeat, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is a lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If you are still worried that you are in danger from a Dark wizard, then by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, kindly continue your reading.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?” Harry asked, his voice shaking. He had lost control and he couldn’t understand why he was saying all these things. He wondered if he felt that with the Ministry denying Voldemort’s return, it dishonoured Cedric’s memory, and this was something he would not stand for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At these words, there was silence and Seamus watched Harry, looking half scared and half fascinated by everything he was finally revealing. Hermione was shaking her head at him, and Ron looked away from the confrontation, obviously unsure how to control his friend’s behaviour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident,” Umbridge replied coldly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was murder! Voldemort killed him and you know it,” Harry said, his whole body trembling, and he felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbridge’s face remained blank and then she said in a sickly sweet girlish voice, “Come here, Mr Potter, dear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry stood up, kicking his chair aside and said, “Don’t call me ‘dear’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt the eyes of the rest of the class watching him on his way over to Umbridge. Everyone was  holding their breath, but Harry couldn’t care any less. He strode over to Umbridge with his head held high, fists clenching and unclenching. When he reached her, she offered him a small pink scroll which was sealed so that no one except the recipient could open it. Harry had no idea at all what she had written there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear,” said Professor Umbridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry bit his lip, taking the scroll and said again, “Don’t call me, ‘dear’” which Umbridge once again ignored. He grabbed his bag from his desk, and didn’t even look at Hermione and Ron as he left the classroom, slamming the door behind him. He rushed through the corridors towards McGonagall’s office, his eyes burning. He was tired and fed up, and he could feel a sudden dampness on his cheeks, and suddenly he was sitting against the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest, the scroll abandoned on the floor next to him, forehead on his knees as he tried to control his breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t hear the soft footsteps which approached him, was only aware someone was next to him when he felt a hand on his arm, and he looked up suddenly, only to see Snape crouched next to him, his eyes filled with concern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked away awkwardly, promptly aware that he was on the floor and had been crying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Harry, what’s going on?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry just shook his head and kept his gaze averted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Professor Snape? Mr Potter?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up again to see Professor McGonagall looking down at them both. He watched Snape move to stand up next to her and Harry fumbled for the scroll next to him, saying weakly, “I’ve been sent to see you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall took the scroll from Harry, but did not yet open it. Instead she inclined her head and said, “Come along, Mr Potter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape offered Harry a hand which he took gratefully, pulling himself to his feet. He swung his rucksack over his shoulder and followed Professor McGonagall towards her office, Snape walking quietly next to him. When they reached her office, Snape didn’t go inside. He didn’t think it was his place to join in on their discussion, instead believing it better to let McGonagall talk to the boy. Harry smiled gratefully though bashfully at him as he went inside and then the door shut behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have a seat,” McGonagall said to Harry and began to read Umbridge’s note. Harry watched her lips purse and her eyes narrow as she read the note, and Harry squirmed slightly in his seat. What had Umbridge written about him in there?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall looked up at him and placed the scroll on her desk before saying, “Well? Is this true?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is what true?” Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” said Harry, “Well, yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You called her a liar?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall sat down, frowning at Harry, and then she said, “Have a biscuit, Potter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have - wait, what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have a biscuit,” McGonagall repeated and pushed a small tartan tin towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry tentatively reached for one of the Ginger Newts in the tin and took a small nibble as McGonagall continued though not in her usual stern and crisp voice. Instead it was low and anxious and somehow much more human than usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Potter, you need to be careful. Misbehaviour in Dolores Umbridge’s class could cost you much more than house points and a detention,” McGonagall said, and was about to say something else when the bell rang signalling the end of the lesson. There were the sounds of thundering feet moving through the corridors afterwards but this did not deter McGonagall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It says here she’s given you detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every evening this week!” Harry repeated, horrified. “But, Professor, couldn’t you -?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I couldn’t,” McGonagall said flatly, “She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o’clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded slowly. Even though he didn’t like it, he was aware that the professor had a point and that she wasn’t taking Umbridge’s side but rather looking out for him. It was obvious to everyone that he should have kept quiet during class today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before you go, Mr Potter, I just want to make sure everything is okay. You seemed...distressed in the corridor,” McGonagall said, almost gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, I’m fine...just what happened in the classroom, you know,” Harry said vaguely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” McGonagall said, though she didn’t look convinced, “But just know my door is always open if you want to talk. You are dismissed.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Professor,” Harry said, and picked up his bag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry was surprised to find that on leaving the office, Snape was still outside, his arms folded. When he heard the door open, Snape turned to look at him and gave him a faint smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything okay?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah,” Harry replied, hovering awkwardly next to the man, his gaze averted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape didn’t acknowledge this answer, and Harry could tell Snape didn’t believe him. This was confirmed in Snape’s next question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened in the corridor, Harry...you didn’t seem quite yourself,” Snape said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would you know about it?” Harry snapped before he could stop himself, “You don’t know me.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Snape looked down at the floor at Harry’s words and Harry felt a mass of guilt settle over him. He knew the man was just looking out for him, and Harry knew that by accepting his offer to develop a better relationship with him, Snape had every right to do so, even despite their shady past. After everything Snape had missed out on in his life, he was probably trying to make sure that he was there for him now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Professor,” Harry said quickly, “That wasn’t fair. I’m just feeling a little...angry, I guess. Stressed.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Snape nodded, looked back at Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand, Harry. Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Harry said, quickly, “I’m going to go to the Tower, I have a ton of homework already and with detentions the rest of the week, I really need to get it done. I’ll see you Friday?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This last part was said almost doubtfully as though Harry expected Snape to not want to go ahead and Harry was relieved when Snape smiled slightly again and nodded before saying, “Well, Thursday for Potions, but yes. I’ll see you properly Friday. You will be okay to do so after your detention?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and said, “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry hurried away from Snape towards the seventh floor, not daring to look back as he could feel Snape staring after him. He headed immediately for Gryffindor Tower but when he got there he realised he wasn’t much in the mood to face anyone, not even Ron and Hermione. He especially wasn’t in the mood for a lecture from Hermione. And so instead of entering the common room, Harry made for the Astronomy Tower, pulling his Invisibility Cloak out as he went in case anyone saw him on his way there. He was relieved when he made it there without anyone seeing him, and enjoyed the peace and fresh air that this tower brought him. He looked out at the Hogwarts grounds and the views beyond, enjoying the feeling of freedom that came over him at these vast expanses. He sat down close to the edge of the tower and let his legs dangle over the sides, pulling off his cloak. It was nice to be alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, revelling in the lack of people around him,wondering how many more opportunities he would get to be away from the hate the Wizarding World was currently throwing at him. He wondered if he would be able to sneak away up here more often, he could take his homework up here, and not have to worry about everyone else for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was so wrapped up in all these thoughts that Harry once again failed to hear the approach of footsteps making their way towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Potter,” came a familiar drawl from behind Harry, snapping him suddenly from his thoughts, “Just the person I was looking for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry pulled his legs up from where they were hanging over the edge of the tower and stood up to face the pointed, well defined face of Draco Malfoy who looked almost smug at having found Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“What do you want, Malfoy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Funny you should ask. I need a favour.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Desperation and Detentions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: some of these lines are taken directly from JK Rowling's Order of the Phoenix.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Never in all his life had Draco Malfoy ever felt the need to ask for anybody’s help with anything. He was more than capable of doing things by himself and resolving his own issues. But here he was, approaching Potter of all people, to ask for a favour for something he knew deep down he needed help with even if he was reluctant to admit this to himself. And so he had swallowed his pride and ripped off the band aid, knowing that if he dwelt too much on it, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Yet there were things more important than pride which brought him to his current situation: face to face with a disgruntled looking Potter, his green eyes squinting suspiciously at him, on top of the Astronomy Tower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Funny you should ask. I need a favour,” Draco said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched Harry’s eyes narrow slightly before picking up his bag and cloak and approaching him. He went to push past Draco, but Draco grabbed his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just hear me out, Potter, before you go rushing off and jumping to conclusions about things you know nothing about,” Draco drawled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry scowled at him and then shook off Draco’s arm. Draco could see Harry hesitating slightly and knew that if nothing else, Harry’s curiosity had kept him there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Harry said, and went to move back over to where he had been sitting minutes previously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco followed him and sat down next to him, staring across at the view the Astronomy Tower offered them. They were quiet for a minute or so before Draco finally began. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard about what happened in your Defence class today -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want Malfoy?” Harry interrupted, not wanting to discuss the class at all, let alone with Malfoy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow. Straight to the point, aren’t you?” Draco goaded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry made to stand up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Draco said, his voice urgent. He hated this, hated the desperation which was so evident in his tone, hated sounding like he was begging for Potter’s help. But he knew he didn’t really have much choice - his family needed help and the only person he could think of who could help was Potter, no matter how much he didn’t want it to be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                                        *</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t know what possessed him to stop and hear out the blond haired boy he had hated since first year, yet stop he did. Maybe it was his curious nature, or maybe it was the intensity with which Draco spoke - an almost suppressed pain which could only be heard and noticed by someone who had been through a great deal and was attune to the feeling of fierce emotions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry repositioned himself on the floor of the tower and then said with a slight sigh, “Okay. How can I help?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Draco said, trying to contain his relief, but Harry could see the tension in his face relax somewhat. He inhaled a deep breath before continuing, “The thing is, Potter, well...I believe you, about You-Know-Who’s return, and I know you know my family’s background...but, you see, my mother doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore and she doesn’t want me anywhere near him. And my father, well, he claims he doesn’t want it either but he’s too scared to do anything about it - he’s a coward, and wants to be more than what he is, but he’s really nothing more than a rich man with a family who he loves. And, like, I like being in control and everything, I like it when people listen to me and look up to me, but I don’t want to be one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I don’t want to bow down to You-Know-Who and I’m not going to join him out of fear, so I'm reaching out to you. I think you might be able to help us, get us away from him and his control, exonerate us from his power.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he was honest with himself, this was the last thing Harry had expected to hear. Spoilt, pampered, and rich Draco Malfoy was sat next to Harry Potter, a lower level of being, asking him to find a way to protect him and his family from Voldemort, to find a way to redeem them and keep them all safe. And there was not a part of Harry that wanted to say no. However Harry had no idea what to say. He wanted to help him but he had no idea how. He didn’t even know where to start. But that certainly wouldn’t stop him from trying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Malfoy, I’m sorry...I can’t promise that I can do anything to get you and your parents out of this - I don’t even know where to start. But I can promise you that I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>try </span>
  </em>
  <span>to help because trust me, I want to help you with this. I will do my best to get you all away from and keep you protected. All of you. I don’t want to give you any false hope, but I will do my best. It might be that you all have to go into hiding, but I can’t guarantee anything,” Harry said, his voice soft. He tried to think of something positive to say to Malfoy and then suddenly something came to him, an unbidden thought of someone who might know exactly how to help the Mafloys. “But I think I might know someone who might be able to help. Leave it with me. Can you give me until Saturday before we talk again about this?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malfoy was silent for a moment, and Harry wondered if what he said wasn’t what Malfoy wanted to hear. Well, of course it wasn’t. Malfoy wanted a solution, not a promise to try and find one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But finally he said, “I know you can’t guarantee it. I know. I just appreciate the promise to try. I didn’t know where else to turn because if anyone can help, I think it would be you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry could hear a hint of despair in his voice but could tell Malfoy was trying to cover it up, and so he just nodded, not wanting to make a big deal of this new side of Draco that he hadn’t seen before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But don’t think I’ve liked asking for your help, Potter. Because I haven’t,” Draco added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smirked and said, “I don’t doubt it.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw the hint of a smile on Draco’s face too but once again didn’t address it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So. Saturday?” Draco said abruptly as he stood up to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Meet me here at midnight,” Draco said, and left the tower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was only when Malfoy had left that Harry truly understood the full extent of what Draco was asking of him and it made him feel guilty for worrying about all the other trivial stuff he had been anxious about: playing Quidditch; what people thought about him; hell, even trying to develop a relationship with Snape didn’t seem as daunting as it had once done. And even though Malfoy and he had never seen eye to eye, he couldn’t rid himself of the sincerity and gravity of Draco’s tone, the desperation which seemed to ebb from his body. Maybe he was too forgiving, or maybe he just cared too much about people. Draco had bullied him relentlessly for the past four years, Lucius Malfoy had been in the graveyard last year, and yet neither thing made him want to help them any less. If he could help them, he would, though he felt a pressure building steadily on his chest as he went to stand up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry staggered back towards Gryffindor Tower, the school feeling disorientated around him. Everything seemed out of place or sideways, too far away or too close. He kept one hand against the wall to ground himself as his head pounded and nearly everything seemed to go black. He didn’t feel like he could see. One foot after another after another and Harry finally came to the Fat Lady where he murmured the password, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mimbulus Mimbletonia</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. The portrait swung open and he stumbled through the common room to the boys’ dormitories where his house mates were fast asleep, Ron snoring loudly. He flopped down on his bed and pulled the curtains around him. He curled up as small as he could as another bout of dizziness came over him and everything went black. He found himself spinning into an unknown corridor, once more trying to get through the door at the far end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                      ******************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day passed in much of a blur for Harry as the news of his clash with Umbridge spread through the school and the teachers of all his classes lectured them on the importance of their OWLs. In Care of Magical Creatures, Harry and Draco locked eyes and Harry nodded slightly at him in acknowledgement before turning back to Ron and Hermione who were struggling with a Bowtruckle, a stick-insect like creature who seemed intent on getting up to mischief and making drawing the creature as difficult as it could for them. He spent most of the day dreading his detention with Umbridge and found the day severely unenjoyable on the whole what with one thing on top of another. The only good thing that seemed to come out of the day was when the trio were heading to the greenhouses for Herbology, a class that was just being vacated by back some fourth years which included Ginny and Luna. The pair stopped briefly to talk to the three of them, Ginny getting into some sort of sibling dispute with Ron while Luna turned to Harry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe He Who Must Not Be Named is back and I believe you fought him and escaped from him,” Luna said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Thanks, Luna,” Harry had replied, surprised but pleased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                    ********************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>FIve o’clock came quicker than Harry wanted it too and he headed straight for Umbridge’s office after his dinner which he couldn’t eat much of, especially after Angelina hunted him down to moan about how he had got detention on the day they were doing Keeper tryouts. Harry tried to act like he cared but it was difficult and instead she just shouted at him to make sure he spoke to Umbridge and made sure he attended the tryouts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Harry knocked on the door to Umbridge’s office, he was immediately irritated by the falsely pleasant voice she used to say, “Come in” and took a deep breath before pushing the door open cautiously and looking around. The office had never looked the same for any of the teachers who had occupied it and no matter how much he hated the mass of Gilderoy Lockhart portraits he had hung of himself in his second year, this was worse. The surfaces were draped in lacy covers and cloths with ornamental plates hung on the walls, all with an image of a moving kitten in their centres. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good evening, Mr Potter,” Umbridge said in her sugary voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Evening, Professor Umbridge,” Harry said stiffly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, sit down,” Umbridge said and Harry instantly did as he was asked, dropping his bag on the floor as he faced a blank sheet of parchment she had already set out for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry took another breath and said quickly, “Er, Professor Umbridge. Er, I was wondering if I could ask you if -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well...I’m in the Gryffindor Quidditch team and I was supposed to be at Keeper tryouts on Friday so I was wondering if I could do my detention another night instead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no,” said Umbridge, giving him a wide smile, “Oh, no, no, no. This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Mr Potter, and punishments cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one’s convenience. No, you will come here at five o’clock everyday this week and do your detentions as planned. I think it is rather a good thing you are missing something you really want to do - it ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, actually relieved that she had said no. He now had a completely valid reason to get out of their first Quidditch session and even though Angelina didn’t like it, it wasn’t like he had planned for this to happen. And though, he could feel his blood pounding through his veins at some of what Umbridge had said about him lying again, he was wholly relieved she had not agreed to let him attend the tryouts.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr Potter. No, not with your quill,” she added as Harry bent down to open his bag. “You’re going to be using a rather special one of mine.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point and said, “I want you to write, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How many times?” Harry said with feigned politeness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as it takes for the message to sink in,” Umbridge replied, smiling sinisterly, and returning to the seat behind her own desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t given me any ink,” Harry said, trying to keep the attitude out of his voice at her stupidity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You won’t need any,” Umbridge said and chuckled slightly to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry frowned and rolled his eyes before placing quill to parchment and writing for the first time, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he wrote, he felt a grating pain in his hand and he gasped as the words not only appeared on the parchment in red ink but were also cut into the back of Harry’s right hand. He stared at the cut for a moment but it quickly began to heal over, the only change in his hand now being that it looked only slightly redder than it had done previously. He glanced at Umbridge who was watching him, with a wide toad-like smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” she said innocently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Harry replied and began to write again. Once more, he felt the same searing pain in his hand and again it healed over seconds later. Harry soon came to realise as he performed the act over and over again that he was not writing in ink, but with his own blood. Harry didn’t say anything, nor do anything, except keep writing. He wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of giving her any signs of weakness from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come here,” Umbridge finally said, after what seemed like hours.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up, his hand stinging painfully and though the cut had healed, his skin was red raw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hand,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry offered her his hand and she took it, examining the work of her quill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tut, tut, I don’t seem to have made much of an impression yet,” she said smiling. “Well, we’ll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won’t we? You may go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry left her office without a word and walked through the deserted corridors, oddly thinking only of all the homework he had to do and that if she was going to keep him this long every night, he wasn’t going to have a chance to do it.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                                                            ***********************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t tell Hermione and Ron the whole truth of what was happening in his detentions, telling them only that he was doing lines. He didn’t know for sure why he didn’t tell them - the only secret they had had before this was the truth of his parentage - but it looked like this year was turning into a year of secret keeping especially as Ron also seemed to be hiding something. All Harry knew was that he didn’t want to see any more pity in their eyes when they looked at him nor did he want to feel like Umbridge had beaten him if he told them, and so he kept his hand hidden as well as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On top of his detentions, Harry was exhausted. Though the hours he spent in detention were becoming less and less, he was still spending half the night doing homework leaving him very little time to sleep. Ron was also struggling to keep up with homework too, something which Hermione insisted on pestering him about. It was only on Thursday night when Harry was on his way back to Gryffindor Tower from his detention that he found out what Ron had been hiding and why he was struggling to get his homework done. Ron told him about his wanting to get on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and he had been practicing every night to do so. He was both pleased and thankful to find that Harry had been very supportive of him, trusting that Ron would make it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By Friday, the cut was almost engraved in his hand, but Umbridge continued with Friday’s detention to ensure that the message had indeed sunk in. Harry didn’t waste any time during that detention, his mind drifting a couple times to how Ron was getting on at tryouts but mostly thinking about when he was going to be able to leave detention as he wanted to make it to Snape’s office as they had planned. Harry thought that the quicker he wrote and the more lines on his parchment, the quicker the cut would cut into his hand and she would let him leave. Thankfully his theory was right, and when Umbridge noticed Harry grimace slightly at one particular sting in his hand, she said, “Let’s see if you’ve got the message yet, shall we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took his hand as she had over the last few days and once again examined it. She smiled at what she saw: the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies</span>
  </em>
  <span> looking permanently engraved into his hand with blood still trickling out from the words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think I’ve made my point, Mr Potter. You may go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry checked his watch and noticed it was quarter past seven. He hoped that Snape wasn’t going to be angry with him - he knew he had detention so hopefully he was still waiting in his office for him. He was also hoping Snape wouldn’t notice the words on his hand. In Potions yesterday, he had been looking at Harry strangely, almost as if with concern. He hated how observant the man could be sometimes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry almost ran to Snape’s office, dashing down three floors and to the dungeons where he stopped suddenly outside Snape’s office door and knocked. He was breathing slightly heavily, pulling his jumper sleeves over his hands as he heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and then the click of it opening. Snape suddenly stood face to face with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Harry said, giving him a lopsided and nervous smile, “I’m so sorry I’m late, I was in detention.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Snape graced Harry with a smile and he stood back from the door, letting him enter his office, saying, “It’s okay, Harry, I did wonder if you would be late. It’s no matter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape shut the door, and turned to face Harry before saying, “Come. I believe we have fourteen years worth of catching up to start.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry gave Snape another tentative smile before following Snape through his office and out a door at the back of his office, leading only to what he assumed would be Snape’s private quarters. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Snakes and Lions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The door they entered to access Snape’s quarters opened up onto a spacious, open-plan living area and kitchen. Only a lengthy step separated the two rooms. The living room felt immediately homey with a polyester green sofa and two similar in style armchairs. The furniture was in a horseshoe shape surrounding a coffee table and rug and which was placed opposite the fireplace which currently had a glowing red warmth emanating from it, its flames thundering upwards. On top of the coffee table were a few books but these seemed to be the only thing left out, everything else either being in Snape’s bedroom or in the cupboards and bookshelves around this room. In the kitchen, Harry could see  a small, round, wooden table and four chairs to sit at around it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have a seat,” Snape said, gesturing to the living area.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and perched on the edge of the sofa, dropping his bag at his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like something to drink?” Snape said, moving towards the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er, just a cup of tea? If that’s okay,” Harry said nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watched Snape for a moment and then looked around him once more. At the very back of the room was an open door which he could see entered into a hallway in which Harry imagined Snape’s room would be situated and maybe even a small study, though he couldn’t know for sure. There were no photos of anyone, nothing hung on the walls, save a clock which ticked steadily. A blanket sat over the back of the sofa and it looked so soft that Harry felt an urge to run his hand over the material. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here you go, Harry,” Snape’s voice suddenly said, holding out a mug for Harry to take. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Sir, er, Severus,” Harry said, taking the mug, his sleeves still sitting apprehensively over his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape sat next to him, sitting with his elbows on his knees, cradling a mug of what Harry thought was coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Harry. How are you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Harry said vaguely, his eyes trained on his tea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. And how are your classes going?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, not so fine, I guess. I’m not even doing well in Defence this year,” Harry said. He knew it was pointless lying to Snape about this - he knew very well how Harry’s classes were going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see, but Harry, do not worry about your Defence grade. You’ll pass fine - Umbridge is, between you and me, an abhorrent woman and teacher - and I’m saying this as your father not your Professor,” Snape said, smiling slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry grinned and then bit his lip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape then said, “Okay, so Harry, I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know much about you and you don’t know much about me so I was thinking, maybe, we could start by taking it in turns to ask each other questions. If you like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Sure,” Harry replied, wanting to make this as easy as possible for both of them, “You can go first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Snape said, “Let’s see...What’s your favourite subject?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry took a sip of his tea and then said, “Well, most people think it’s Defence or Quidditch. But I actually love Care of Magical Creatures - though I’m not always sure about Hagrid’s curriculum, I love him as a teacher and when he teaches legal creatures, it’s pretty good. I thought I would love Potions when I first came to the school because I cook and I like doing it but, well, you know…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m truly sorry about that, Harry. Maybe, if you like, one day, we could spend some doing Potions together. I could try and change your opinion on the subject.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’d like that,” Harry agreed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’d like that too. I am very interested though that you enjoy Care of Magical Creatures so much, but I’m not as surprised as you might think. I’ve seen the way you look at Hedwig.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry smiled shyly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which leads me to my next question: what’s your favourite animal or magical creature?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey!” Harry exclaimed playfully, “It’s my turn to ask a question.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Harry, it had slipped my mind,” Snape answered smoothly, though there was a glint in his eye which told Harry that Snape hadn’t really forgotten at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slytherin,” Harry muttered, grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cheeky. But yes, I’m a Slytherin through and through. And you a noble Gryffindor, abiding by the rules,” Snape returned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed and said, “Okay, um...sorry, I’m terrible at this, uh...so, you’re a coffee person?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gestured at the mug in Snape’s hand and he looked down before smiling and looking back at Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct,” Severus said, and raising his mug slightly, “How did you know I had coffee?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry tapped his nose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have a good sense of smell,” Severus praised, “It’s a useful skill for Potions you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Harry laughed, “And yeah, some of those ingredients are very strong smelling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So what’s your favourite animal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Um, weirdly, that would be dogs though I love all of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why is that weird?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Er, well, my Uncle had this sister, um, Aunt Marge, she had a dog called Ripper who, I’m pretty sure, she trained not to like me very much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Snape frowned and said, “What do you mean?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry stared down at the stone floor beneath his feet, biting his lip. He had said too much, Snape didn’t need to know about that. Time for a change of subject - he was going to have to bring it up sooner or later anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus, can I talk to you about something?” Harry ventured, scuffing his feet against the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape’s expression immediately became more concerned, sensing the change in Harry’s mood, and he said, “Of course, Harry. Always. What is it?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s in reference to Draco Malfoy,” Harry began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Harry. I’m sorry. I can try and get him to stop bullying you, but it -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no, Severus, it’s nothing to do with that,” Harry said, shaking his head, “It’s actually, well, something far more important.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Severus said cautiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, you see, I bumped into him on Monday and he told me he needed a favour. He told me that he needed my help in getting out of the Death Eaters and away from Voldemort’s power and influence over them. He told me his father won’t do anything about it, apparently he’s too scared, but his mother is desperate - she doesn’t want Draco getting hurt or involved. I think Draco is terrified too, though he won’t let it show. But anyway, he said I was probably the only person who could help. And I want to, but I don’t know how, and I thought, well, you might be able to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus was quiet for a moment and his face was blank therefore Harry was unable to have any idea at all of what was going through the man’s mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then finally he spoke, “...I think I might be able to help, yes. It will require his parents to go into hiding and for Draco to join them in hiding during school holidays, but there might be a way to protect them. But let me just get this straight. Mr Malfoy came to you asking him to help you get him and his family out from under Voldemort’s thumb and told you that you were the only one who could help him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So are you friends now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not as such, but I want to help him -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That boy is as bad as Dumbledore,” Snape said heavily, sitting up and banging his mug on the coffee table. Harry jumped slightly at the loud clatter, suddenly nervous at Snape’s approaching temper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus, it’s okay. I really want to help him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you do, Harry!” Snape said sharply, “But he shouldn’t be putting that kind of pressure on you. And Draco is taking advantage of your nature - he knows you are too forgiving and would do anything you can to help other people!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry frowned, and felt suddenly angry at Snape’s tone with him, and said, his voice cold, “Well, I’m sorry that they are such negative attributes to have. I didn’t see you complaining when I chose to forgive you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, I didn’t mean it as a negative thing. It’s a beautiful quality to have. Your mother was much the same, always seeing the best in everyone,” Snape said, “It’s just...I worry it makes you more vulnerable to people’s ploys and plans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I hope to Merlin I was right to trust you then,” Harry said bitterly, before saying, softer this time, and gesturing wildly, “And Draco doesn’t have a plan. He just needs help. And I’m going to do my damndest to help him whatever you say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watched Snape’s face, trying to read what he was thinking, but Snape’s eyes were trained on his right hand. Harry looked at his hand and noticed his sleeve had slipped. He lowered his hands and tried to tuck the sleeve back over it as subtly as he could but Snape was having none of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er, Harry, I hope you don’t mind me asking but what’s that mark on your hand?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What mark?” Harry said, holding up his left hand and moving it from side to side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your other hand, Harry,” Snape said, almost impatiently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry reluctantly held his right hand to Snape, palm facing upwards, mentally kicking himself for being so stupid to let his guard down which let his sleeve slip from his hand. Severus took his hand and gently turned it over to look at the back of Harry’s hand only to see the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies</span>
  </em>
  <span> staring up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t say anything, just looked away from Severus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hesitated, but he recognised defeat - he had experienced this kind of thing plenty of times with Hermione. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umbridge,” Harry muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Explain,” Severus said, his voice strained in anger, his nostrils flared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry’s shoulders slumped, letting go of every urge to be defiant, and said, “On my first detention, she told me that to write </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies</span>
  </em>
  <span> with a special quill of hers and didn’t give me a number of lines but said as many as it takes for the message to sink in. And tonight, she was finally satisfied that it had.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry could see Severus’s usually unreadable face turn to one of great anger. His fingers were absentmindedly running gently over Harry’s cut, and Harry suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of safety and warmth as, for the first time, in his life, an adult, other than Madam Pomfrey, actually took care of one of his injuries. He recalled the Dursleys and how every time Dudley beat him up or Uncle Vernon threw him into a wall, no one ever came to check to make sure he was okay and not badly hurt. This was the first time that he could remember where he actually felt as though someone cared about the injuries on his body. Then all of a sudden Severus dropped Harry’s hand and strode over to a cabinet in his kitchen, pulling out a bowl and emptying some sort of yellowish liquid into it. He then brought it over to Harry and put it on the coffee table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Soak your hand in that,” Severus said, “It’s Essence of Murtlap - it should help to ease the pain and hopefully heal the cut.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry moved to sit on the floor and placed his hand in the bowl as Severus had said. He felt Severus sit behind him on the couch and his hand touched Harry’s shoulder. Harry could sense a burning concern coming from the man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay, you know,” Harry said quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing about this is okay,” Snape said firmly, “She used a blood quill on you, Harry - they are illegal. We’ll go and see Dumbledore about this tomorrow. We could get her sacked, arrested even.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I don’t want to,” Harry mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to tell Dumbledore - she knows she has won if we do - and I can guarantee you that Dumbledore will do nothing about this. And neither will Fudge. I just want to forget it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Harry -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Please, Severus,” Harry insisted, and then added nervously, “...I need you on my side with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus inhaled a deep breath and then said, “Okay, Harry. But I need you to promise me something.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Harry said warily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you are ever hurt or injured again, with this, or anything else, by anyone else, and you don’t find your way to Madam Pomfrey, you come to me. Can you promise me that?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are a Slytherin huh?” Harry said tiredly, “Oh well, I guess I can promise you that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Good,” Snape said, smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a while then, both of them watching Harry’s hand sitting lazily in the bowl of Murtlap Essence, Snape’s hand still resting on Harry’s shoulder. Harry found the gesture comforting, and for the first time, he could actually see Snape as his father, someone who could care for him and make sure he was looked after. He loved Sirius, but he had found that he didn’t really have much in common with him, and worried that Sirius just wanted him to be James rather than Harry as he was. Sirius was fun but he lacked the responsibility needed from a father figure. But Snape was, and he found in some of their conversations together that he actually kind of liked the man. He had a subtle and sometimes dark sense of humour, but he could see that Snape cared for him and regretted his past treatment of him, and the fact that Snape was here supporting him right now, and had actually listened to him, made him feel cared for. When he turned his head slightly to look up at the man, the man smiled down at him and Harry smiled back and carefully, preparing for rejection, Harry placed his head against the man’s leg. The hand that had been resting on Harry’s shoulder moved and came swiftly to rest on top of Harry’s head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So. What about Draco?” Harry asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Yes. I have an idea which includes the use of a safe house and a Fidelius Charm. We’ll move them into the house on Spinner’s End where I grew up and have a Secret Keeper, someone they trust. If this is okay with them, of course. And they should be protected unless the Secret Keeper betrays them. And I’ll make sure they pick someone that won’t this time,” Snape said, his voice filled with determination, “Draco will be safe here at Hogwarts in the meantime. Would you be okay checking with Draco to make sure this is a good plan with him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, we have plans to talk tomorrow anyway about it all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. But they will just have to leave, Harry. They will have to cut off all ties to him completely. It’s the only way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I understand,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Snape believed Harry’s hand to be sufficiently bathed, he stood up and took the bowl away from him, placing it in the kitchen sink. Harry also got up from the floor and grabbed his bag. They were both aware of the time and knew it was time for Harry to head back to the Gryffindor common room before he was caught out after curfew. Snape walked him with him to the door and rested his hand on the door handle. Harry stared down at his feet, unsure of what to say or do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, you are sure you can trust Draco?” Severus said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I am,” Harry said firmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Severus said, “Don’t be worrying about Draco’s problem then, we’ll get it sorted. And Harry, thank you for tonight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up then and smiled, before saying, “Thank you, Severus. For everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape nodded and opened the door. Harry walked out into the corridor and held up a hand in farewell, before beginning to head off down the corridor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned when Snape poked his head out into the corridor and said, smiling playfully, “And Harry? Stay out of trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry laughed and then turned away, still chuckling, heading back to Gryffindor Tower. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A Silent Treachery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Not long after Harry left Severus's rooms, Severus made his way to Dumbledore's office, fury and love raging through his heart. How dare that pink-obsessed, false, terror of a woman harm his son; how dare she force him to use his own blood to engrave into his own hand a message which was the exact opposite of what Harry had been doing. Dumbledore had to know about this. He had to be able to stop Umbridge from hurting his son again and any other students who might cross this disgrace of a woman. And so, in spite of Harry's protests, Severus was on his way to do what </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought was right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Severus, m'boy," Albus said on Severus's entering the office, "What can I do for you this evening?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Albus, Dolores has to go," Severus said firmly as he came to a stop in front of the headmaster's desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where is this coming from, Severus? I thought I'd explained to you that -" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was before I had the knowledge that she was using a blood quill in students' detentions!" Severus said, his temper rising rapidly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What on earth are you talking about, Severus?" Albus said, his tone remaining calm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus inhaled a deep breath and said, voice shaking slightly, "Harry came to see me last night after his detention and what did I see? The words </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must not tell lies </span>
  </em>
  <span>cut into his hand. He tells me Umbridge has been making him use a blood quill all this week during his detentions, keeping him late until 'the message has sunk in.'" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus said nothing for a moment, only leaned back in his seat as he examined Severus's behaviour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then: "I take it Harry decided to accept your...offer?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes," Severus said shortly, "But -"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You were supposed to let me know his decision, Severus," Albus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is this really what you want to discuss right now? That Ministry witch is hurting Harry and you want to talk about this?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do," Albus said, "After all, unless Harry comes forward himself and decides he wants to make an official report and take legal action against her, then there is nothing to be done about your accusations."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus grunted, turning away from Albus, and began to pace the length of Dumbledore's office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are we supposed to do then? We can't just do nothing," Severus said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm afraid that's exactly what we have to do, Severus. Unless of course Harry wants to make a formal complaint."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He doesn't," Severus said briefly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then why are you telling me?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus had no response to this - he didn't actually know why he had come to see the man. Maybe it was because he was used to him always having some sort of solution to problems, even if it was one he didn't like. Or maybe it was because no matter how much he told himself that Dumbledore could not be trusted, there was a certain reassurance that the headmaster would be able to deal with his problems no matter how absurd, a sort of blind faith. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus collapsed into the chair opposite Albus and placed his head in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is it going with Harry then?” Albus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Quite well for the most part. There have been a few...tense moments but I think - I hope - we can make this work,” Severus said, looking back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, good,” Albus said pensievely and then he got up and pulled from a shelf a cardboard box which he then took back over to the Potions Master and hesitantly pushed towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?” Severus said, surprised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Open it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus gave Albus an inquiring look and then turned his attention to the box before him. He opened the box and was shocked to see what was inside it. A photograph sat in a silver frame of Severus, Lily, and Harry on Harry’s first birthday. Harry was laughing, his little legs kicking gently in joy, as Severus held him gently on his lap on the floor. Lily sat next to him, her legs nestled beneath her, her hand brushing hair from Severus’s face as she smiled down at her boys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus reached into the box, his hand now trembling, and pulled out the photo, staring at it intently. His fingers traced over the old looking photo, stopping on Lily’s cheek. He remembered the scene from the memories Lily returned to him, but seeing this more physical proof made Severus’s heart stop for a second. He knew James had been the one to take the photo and he couldn’t help but be even more grateful to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, Severus placed the photo down and drew from the box the other remaining items - two photo albums. Severus swallowed thickly, but did not open either album. He just put them on his lap and the photo on top, ready to take back to his quarters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, Severus looked back up at Albus who was watching him carefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you giving me these?” was all Severus managed to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Contrary to what you might believe, Severus, I do actually want the best for you and Harry, and now you know this secret you might as well have your personal possessions back,” Albus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Severus whispered, his anger at Albus ebbing away for the time being as his mind swam with thoughts of what these albums contained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Albus just bowed his head and smiled gently at Severus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is Harry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“He says he’s okay, but - well, Umbridge is giving him a lot of bother,” Severus said, his voice sounding slightly glazed as if he was in some sort of trance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, though from what I hear he is also giving her a lot of trouble,” Albus said casually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus’s eyes hardened and he abruptly came out of his dream-like state. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me you’re blaming Harry for that woman’s abominable attitude! Have you heard what she’s been saying? It feels like a deliberate provocation!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And it probably is,” Albus responded in the same calm tone, “He needs to learn not to rise to her bait and just accept what is currently happening. There will come a time to act, but it is not right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And suddenly, Severus understood something he hadn’t before, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to voice it. The thought scared him, and it put everything he thought he knew under inspection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So instead, Severus just growled, “I don’t believe this! Your attitude towards this whole situation is disgraceful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You might think so but then I think we both know where he gets his temper and attitude from, Severus,” Albus said pointedly, “Maybe set a good example for the boy.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span> Severus stood up then, knowing there was no point in carrying on this conversation, holding the albums and photograph close to his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I shall see you tomorrow, Albus,” Severus said and strode from the headmaster’s office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus was plagued by his thoughts for the rest of the night. Something in his mind had clicked into place in Dumbledore’s office and he found himself consumed by it. For some reason, Severus had experienced a distinct feeling that Albus wanted Harry beaten down and broken. In his talk with Harry earlier that evening, he had found that it didn’t seem that Harry had the happy childhood that Severus had once thought. He was quick to change the subject when the talk of his childhood came up and he never asked for help. On top of that, Severus was fully aware of Petunia’s aversion and hatred of magic and so it was completely possible that she had treated Harry much like he had in earlier years - not seeing him as an individual but as something repulsive: Severus saw him as James, his once hated enemy, and Petunia saw him as everything she was jealous of and despised - magic. And Dumbledore must have known of Petunia’s attitude, surely there was no way he didn’t. And this only provided more evidence of Dumbledore’s manipulation and mistreatment of Harry. What Severus couldn’t understand though was why he wanted this for Harry, why he wanted him to suffer, and without a plausible reason why Severus could almost convince himself that he was imagining Dumbledore’s attitude towards Harry. Almost. It seemed that it wasn’t only Umbridge and Voldemort that his son needed protecting from. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Two Sides of the Same Coin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Most of Harry's first Saturday back at Hogwarts was no better than the rest of Harry's first week back. He had thought that with Ron now on the Gryffindor Quidditch team he would find the game that bit more bearable than he thought and to some extent he was right. Ron's terrible playing with no help from the Slytherin had resulted in an awful practice, making the team's chances of winning the year's Quidditch cup look thin however it had also provided Harry with a good distraction from Cedric, something he was most thankful for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day got no better as they spent in catching up on homework and studying, Hermione insisting that as Ron had spent most of the week practicing Quidditch and Harry in detention, they needed to make up for it. Much later in the day, Ron received a letter from his brother, Percy, warning him to stay away from Harry. Thankfully, Ron had thought nothing of it and thrown the letter into the fire. Harry was all the more grateful that Ron was one of his best friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then, just before Harry was due to meet Draco on the Astronomy Tower, Sirius fire-called the Gryffindor Common Room, telling Harry they could meet up in Hogsmeade. Of course, Harry had wanted to but he had also not wanted to risk Sirius being caught and placed back in Azkaban and when he had told Sirius this he had responded with….Well, newsflash, Sirius, Harry had wanted to respond, James isn't my father so it makes sense. But Harry held his tongue - the last thing he needed was a full blown fight with his godfather. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So it was with a heavy heart that Harry walked through the empty corridors, hidden under the magic of his James' cloak. He felt strange using the cloak now though - it didn't rightfully belong to him, not like he had once thought. Especially with Sirius having said what he said, it felt almost wrong. He wasn't much like James at all so should he really be using his cloak? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he needed to right now. Draco needed his help and he couldn't help him if Filch caught him out after curfew. He knew he was running slightly late too (Hermione and Ron went to bed later than he had expected) and he just hoped that Draco didn't think he wasn't coming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry pushed the tower door open at ten minutes past midnight, out of breath and scanning the room urgently for a sign that the Slytherin was there. He walked silently across the room to where they had had most of their conversation last time, overlooking the great views around the castle. He sat down with a great thump, frustrated that he couldn't even get this right, that Draco had given up on him just like everyone else seemed to. However, just as Harry felt a great drowning in his heart, the door slammed open and Harry's head snapped around to see a blond head making its way around the globe-like ornament in the middle of the tower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stood up to greet Draco who looked beyond relieved at seeing Harry there. There was an awkward moment where neither knew how to greet the other and then Draco offered Harry his hand to shake and Harry took it before they went to sit back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re late,” Harry said, nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had a near run in with Filch,” Draco explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that explains it,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment then as both gathered their thoughts and then Draco said, "So. Have you found a solution to what we discussed?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think so, yes. But you'll have to approve the plan. It is dangerous, purely because anything like defying Voldemort is, especially when you're in his inner circle. But if you're prepared to risk it, then I'm with you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry, Potter, I know of the possible consequences but I would rather die than devote my life to gravelling at the feet of that monster."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," Harry said kindly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Obviously. I would like to keep my life, Potter, I'm just saying that if it comes to it…" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know. I just don't want it to," Harry replied quietly, and then, after an awkward moment's pause on Draco's side, Harry said, "Anyway, the plan requires the fidelius charm on a safe house in a Muggle village called Spinner's End. You would be safe at Hogwarts and you would be able to return there during the summer holidays under a guard. Your parents would need to act normally until the planned date and then it would be just like they'd disappeared off the face of the planet. What do you think?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watched as Draco seemed to consider this and stayed silent to let him process the plan. Finally, Draco turned back to Harry and said, “It’s a good plan, the best one we have anyway. How did you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“The less questions asked the better,” Harry said, offering Draco a smile, “But if you are willing, I’ll be able to even out the details and we can get it all sorted, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, and you’ll be as free as you can be until the war is won.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco nodded, and then said, without looking at him, “Thanks, Potter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded at him in acknowledgement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Harry remembered, “And you’ll need to think about who you want as a secret keeper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Draco said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the plan talked of, both boys thought that they would feel uncomfortable in the presence of the other, however they were surprised to feel at ease with one another. Harry found that because Draco saw him as nothing special, it was easier to be just Harry, and he almost forgot that he was The Boy Who Lived. Draco felt in a similar manner - with Harry, he wasn’t expected to be a Malfoy, a pure-blood Slytherin, a son of a Death Eater. He could just be one of many fifth year Hogwarts students. And so it was that this unexpected familiarity, though it surprised both of them, opened up an avenue of unexplored conversation and perspective. They did not talk of much - they mentioned classes and grades and the future, but it was without force or pressure, and for once in their lives both felt like ordinary teenage boys with nothing to worry about but the passing of their exams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what are Defence classes like for you? What’s Umbridge like?” Harry asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco smirked before saying, “Well, let’s put it this way - it’s strangely preferable having a psycho Death Eater, a werewolf, a vain and absolute idiot, or even the Dark Lord for a Professor than this woman. And also she gives me a vivid reminder of a toad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed,, throwing his head back at Draco’s peculiar though extremely accurate impression of their current Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He could hear Draco laughing next to him too, Harry’s own glee clearly contagious in the normally refined boy next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was my exact first thought too!” Harry said eventually as their laughter soon died down, though it wasn’t until they would decide to leave that this unexpected though not unwelcome feeling faded from Harry. This amusement was not something he had felt much of of late so it was nice to finally feel some genuine joy in the small things again. He just hadn’t expected it to be with Draco. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At one o’clock, they decided it would be a good idea to return to their dormitories, both already concerned at being out after curfew. Draco and Harry stood up, brushing down their trousers, as Harry said, “So I’ll iron out a firm, definitive plan, you choose a secret keeper, and we’ll meet…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s say Wednesday night? That way I might have time to send a letter to my mother and get one in return,” Draco replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good,” Harry replied, and they headed towards the door, but when Harry held it open, he saw Draco hesitate. “You want to come under the cloak?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco grinned, eyeing the cloak in Harry’s hands, and said, “I always knew you had an invisibility cloak, Potter.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed, and said, “I thought you knew. It was fun watching you puzzle over it though, Malfoy. So, you want to come under?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco frowned then, and said, “You sure? I thought it was only your friends that you let under here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugged. “So?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Draco said and stepped behind Harry as he threw the silvery material over them both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry had mastered the fine art of moving under the cloak with Ron and Hermione in tow, however moving with Draco was a very different matter. His longer, more confident strides, meant he kept stepping on the heel of Harry’s foot, producing from them hushed, whispered apologies. Harry was thankful when they reached the dungeons and Draco slipped out from under the cloak outside the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Potter, I guess this is it for now,” Draco said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you please call me Harry?” Harry suddenly burst out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco looked slightly taken aback for a moment, and then opened his mouth as if about to ask a question, but then seemed to change his mind, instead smiling and saying, “Alright then. If you call me Draco. But we’re not friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deal,” Harry said, smiling back, “And of course, a Slytherin friends with a Gryffindor. It would be a scandal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still grinning, Draco said, “Well, Harry, I guess this is it for now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess it is, Draco,” Harry said, “See you Wednesday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you Wednesday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Draco waited for Harry to leave before entering the Slytherin rooms, so Harry didn’t see him enter but instead walked back along the corridor and towards the marble staircase. He felt like he had the time he met Ron, when he had hoped and felt like he had found a friend. He knew they weren’t, not yet, anyway, but there was something about their relationship that felt comfortable and easy, something he hadn’t always felt with Ron and Hermione, no matter how much he loved them. There were only two other people he could think of who meant he could be just Harry without being either James Potter’s son or The Boy Who Lived and that was Hagrid and Luna. An odd trio, yet Harry wondered if this was what made him feel so at ease around them all. Harry thought briefly of Severus, wondering how he fit into all this, and though he knew now that Severus no longer saw him as The Boy Who Lived or James’ son, he knew there was a point in which he did, and he worried that if Harry did something to upset him, he would resort to how he had treated him before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry collapsed into bed with a strangely settled mind. It was nice to feel ordinary with Draco and in his peaceful mind set, he found himself strangely blanking out the many images in his brain that triggered his restful state. As he dozed blindly into a tranquil slumber, he found, for the first time in weeks, that he dreamt of nothing, not even the graveyard or that unknown corridor that had taunted him so.  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Appetite for Destruction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The following week was not much better than its predecessor. Monday morning brought to Harry and the others the unwelcome news that Umbridge had been appointed Hogwarts High Inquisitor - a role that apparently meant that she had the authority to inspect and judge the performances of other teachers and implement rules she felt were needed for a better control over the school, and, in extension, the students. In Potions, Harry received a </span>
  <em>
    <span>D </span>
  </em>
  <span>on his Potions essay, the second to worst grade he could get, and though it wouldn’t normally have bothered him, he wondered if Severus was disappointed in him. He didn’t dare look at him in fear of what his eyes might say. On the plus side though, Harry actually got to turn in a potion this week and he thought it was adequate even if it wasn’t as good as Hermione’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, after a heavy conversation with Fred and George about OWL grades, Harry really just wanted to use Divination to take a break but instead Umbridge was here, inspecting the class. And even in spite of Trelawney’s eccentric ways and most likely being a fraud, Umbridge’s treatment of her during the inspection disgusted Harry, and he found himself feeling sorry for the Professor who had predicted his imminent death more times than he could count. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so it was that Harry dragged his feet to Defence Against the Dark Arts, wishing he had one of Fred and George’s Skiving Snackboxes. As she had done the previous week, Umbridge instructed them all to read, this time the next chapter of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Defensive Magical Theory</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Harry was just turning to the page when he noticed Hermione’s hand once again in the air. Instead of addressing her in front of the whole class, Umbridge just approached Hermione and whispered so the rest of the class couldn’t hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But at some point, it became clear that Hermione had said something that Umbridge could not abide for she straightened up and forgot to whisper as she said, “Oh, you do, do you? Well, I’m afraid it is Mr Slinkhard’s opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But -” Hermione began. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is enough,” Umbridge interrupted as she walked back to the front of the class, “Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor house.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Already angry at her treatment of Trelawney, Harry couldn’t stop himself from speaking at this blatant disrespect of his friend and he said angrily, “What for?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you get involved!” Hermione whispered urgently to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions. I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more licence, but as none of them - with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects - would have passed a Ministry inspection -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher,” said Harry loudly, “there was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was like the world had frozen in time. The silence that cut through the room was sharp and cold as ice, and the only reason Harry knew he was still alive was the thumping of his heart against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then - </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think another week’s detentions would do you some good, Mr Potter,” said Umbridge, smiling fakely at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                           ******************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry made no complaint during that evening’s detention and just wrote until his cut had reopened and was bleeding once more. It got deeper and more painful with every letter but Harry made no sound and wrote with conviction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was on his way back to Gryffindor Tower when he remembered the promise he’d made Severus. He was kind of regretting it now, but a promise was a promise, and he didn’t want to break any trust with him when they were finally getting to know each other. Harry turned around and headed towards the dungeons and Snape’s office. He managed to catch a glimpse of the time as he passed the Great Hall - it was half past ten. He wondered if Severus would be in bed, if he would be disturbing the man, and thoughts of rekindling the man’s hatred plagued him all the way to his office. He raised his fist to knock but then paused. What if he knocked and all his worries were confirmed? What if doing this set off an anger in Severus, an anger that led him to wish Harry wasn't his son? Harry didn't realise until now that the thought of Severus not wanting him made him sick with fear and he saw that he wanted this more than anything, to be safe and loved by his father. But the Dursleys had always told him that he should never ask questions and never ask for help. However, Severus told Harry he should, and Harry had promised him he would. Harry moved his hand to his forehead, anxious about what to do. He looked to his right and left, also worried that any Slytherin stragglers would catch him lingering outside the Potions Master's office but no one came. Finally Harry just summoned all his Gryffindor courage, with the final thought that if this all went wrong he was used to absent parents anyway, and knocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His stomach squirmed as he waited for an answer and then he heard the footsteps on the other side of the door and a click before the door was pulled open. Harry glanced up guilty at the man who looked both surprised and happy to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Harry!" Severus whispered, smiling down at him. "Is everything okay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry didn't know what to say and he stared down at his feet as he held out his right hand to Severus and showed him the bleeding cut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry could hear the concern in Severus's voice as he said, "Come in."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry followed Severus through to his quarters and was ushered onto the sofa before Severus fetched the Murtlap Essence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Harry, what happened?" Severus said, giving the bowl to Harry before sitting down next to him.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Umbridge gave me another detention," Harry said vaguely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, thank you, I can see that," Severus replied sarcastically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course," Harry said, smiling briefly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus seemed to wait another moment for Harry to continue but when he didn't, he prompted his son, saying, "Are you going to tell me how you got the detention?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How do you think I got it?" Harry asked, though his tone was not disrespectful or snarky. It was asked with a tone of casual weariness which may be used by one who had endured so much yet had no desire to talk about any of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus did not push the matter any further, not wanting to upset Harry or betray any more trust that the boy placed in him. He could imagine that it had been very hard for Harry to come to him tonight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll, er - is it okay if I come here the rest of the week too?" Harry asked nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You have detentions all week again?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course it's okay for you to come here. Any time at all. Even if it's just for a change of environment or...whatever you need." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you," Harry said, watching his hand sitting in the Murtlap Essence. A warm feeling spread through him at Severus's words and he was relieved that, for the moment, the man was not yet sick of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                            *************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The reception Harry got from Severus about his next week of detentions was a lot better than the one he got from McGonagall. When Angelina started shouting at him because he was going to miss Quidditch practice, McGonagall came to find out what all the noise was about. On finding out, she gifted him with another five points from Gryffindor, a feat Hermione seemed to agree with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ignored Hermione all morning and was still angry with McGonagall on his way down to Transfiguration, but all this rage seemed to disapparate when he noticed Umbridge sitting in the corner of the room, clipboard on her lap, a quill being twiddled between her fingers. He knew for certain that if any teacher could put Umbridge in her place, it would be his Head of House. Hell, she could probably put his father in his place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry wasn’t wrong. McGonagall annihilated Umbridge’s constant interruptions in her class by telling her that she couldn’t possibly “gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.” This quietened the toad-like woman down however she scribbled furiously on her clipboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                                                        *************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After Harry’s detention on Wednesday night, Harry had only time for a brief visit to his father before he had to meet Draco for their third talk. Over the last couple nights visiting Severus, Harry and his father had discussed intently the plan to protect Draco and his family and he was ready to pitch the detailed plan to Draco. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite being dipped in Murtlap Essence for a while beforehand, Harry’s hand still ached from the night’s detention and he held it gingerly to his stomach as he waited for Draco’s arrival. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Draco said when he arrived. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up and smiled, then gestured for Draco to sit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On Saturday, one week from now, you, your parents, and your secret keeper will be apparated to the safe house by Snape. Then -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait. Snape? As in Head of Slytherin House Snape? As in your hated Potions Professor Snape?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah,” Harry said, not wanting to elaborate, “Then-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re going to offer no explanation as to how you got him involved in this plot of yours?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Some things are best left unknown, as I’ve told you before,” Harry said, “Now. After you’re all at the house, the fidelius charm will be put in place, and your parents will be protected while you’re at Hogwarts. Only the secret keeper can tell someone where they are so make sure you have chosen someone trustworthy. They’ll be able to have food delivered too by a friend so as long as they’re told by the secret keeper and are also loyal then they won’t starve. They won’t be able to go out much, but it’s their choice. Any questions?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Draco replied, shaking his head, though he looked like he wanted to say something more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Harry said, “Though, if you don’t mind me asking, who are you choosing for your secret keeper?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, about that,” Draco said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was wondering if maybe...this is really stupid, but I was wondering if maybe, well, if you would be our secret keeper?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was speechless for a moment. He could never have expected this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You know what? Forget I asked. Like I said, it was stupid and very presumptous. You have enough to deal with without -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Draco,” Harry interrupted, “I would be honoured to be your secret keeper. Of course I’ll do it. I told you I would help in any way I could, didn’t I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Draco said. Harry could hear the hope filling his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. One hundred percent sure,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Pot - Harry,” Draco replied and smiled softly. But then suddenly Harry watched as his expression changed into a frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Harry asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with your hand?” Draco said without hesitation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing…” Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cut the lies, Harry. I’m not stupid.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, I would disagree -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry,” growled Draco.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Harry replied and looked away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco was having none of it though. He reached forward and pulled Harry’s hand away from his stomach and examined the words now engraved heavily into his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What in the name of Merlin’s beard happened to you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Detention with Umbridge,” Harry muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Seriously?! What a - sorry, um, is that even legal? Does anyone know about it?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not legal, but I’m not giving Umbridge the satisfaction,” Harry explained, tugging his hand away from Draco, and even though he felt guilty for lying, he continued saying, “And no, no one knows about it. Except you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait. Not even Ron and Hermione know?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should tell them,” Draco urged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Harry replied firmly, “I know what they’re reactions would be and I don’t want to tell Ron and not Hermione. Don’t get me wrong, I love her, but I really don’t want Hermione to find out because she’ll badger me about it and won’t understand why I don’t want to do anything about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The know-it-all does your head in too?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call her that, but essentially yes. Sometimes. They’re both brilliant, they’re like family to me, but they don’t understand me all the time.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I get that,” Draco said, “I love my Slytherin family, but there are things I can’t talk to them about like I can with y - other people. But I think you should still tell them. About this. Not everything. But this. You’re in physical pain and though they might not understand the emotional side, they might be able to do something about the physical.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think about it.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That’s all I ask.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>****************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On Friday evening, after leaving Umbridge’s office for his last detention, Harry found a quiet corridor and wrapped his hand up in his scarf. The bleeding wasn’t stopping and it hurt like hell. He hurried down to Severus’s office, his bag sat only on his left shoulder. He knocked on the office door and Severus came immediately, taking Harry through to his quarters. The Murtlap Essence sat waiting for Harry who dropped his bag on the floor before sliding down next to it and unwrapping his scar hastily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s worse tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, grimacing at the sting of his cut as he dipped his hand into the liquid. He was in no mood to tell Severus of what he and Draco had discussed on Wednesday but it had to be done. Last night Harry had been brought into Severus’s quarters only to see that he had been having a drink with Madam Pomfrey who had immediately expressed her happiness at the fact that he had a live parent and “who better than Severus Snape - this man loves better than anyone I know.” Harry had shared a brief smile with Severus at that for Harry could now believe it but the idea that Severus loved him was a strange one after their years of hatred and his childhood being told that he would never be loved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus handed Harry a cup of tea and then sat in his favourite armchair watching Harry with concern before saying, “Do you want to tell me about what happened with Draco the other night?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh yeah,” Harry said wearily, “He’s gonna speak to his parents and then once they’ve agreed we’re all set.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus smiled, and said, “Well done, Harry. And who has he chosen as his secret keeper?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That would be...me,” Harry said cautiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What?” Severus replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you probably don’t approve but Draco asked me to be his secret keeper and I said yes,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I know what you’re going to say but really there is no one better for the job than me if you think about it. Firstly, no one will suspect me because Draco is hardly going to be his trust in The Boy Who Lived. Secondly, if someone does find out I’m the secret keeper then I’m never going to sell them out because not only do I care about Draco but I could never let his parents go the same way as Mum and James - I won’t betray him.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to have to trust me on this,” Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus was quiet for another moment and then sighed and said, “I’m not going to tell you I like it, Harry, but I won’t try and stop you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take that,” Harry said, grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus smiled briefly back but Harry could tell he was worried about the situation and Harry left as soon as his hand was healed enough, unable to bear being in the same room with Severus any longer. It was strange having someone who cared about him like a parent, someone who was purely looking out for his best interest. It wasn’t something he was used to and he didn’t know how to respond to the man’s concern for him. He almost thought twice about his decision to be Draco’s secret keeper on his way up to Gryffindor tower. He didn’t want to hurt Severus in any way or anger him but Harry had to stick to his instincts and gut. Severus could abandon him at any moment and until he was certain he wasn’t going to, the man had to remain out of his decision making. It was weird though - Harry had never had to think about how these decisions affected anyone else before. He had always gone it alone, without worrying about the dangers to himself. But now, it did affect someone else, but he couldn’t let this change what he needed to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>******************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they had been for the last few nights, Ron and Hermione were waiting for him when he returned from Umbridge’s office. He actually felt pleased to see them though he knew it wouldn’t last when he told them about his hand. He had been considering what Draco had said to him over the last couple of days and had decided he probably should - he had been keeping enough secrets from them both recently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, guys,” Harry said as he threw himself down into the armchair closest to the fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, how was it?” Hermione asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The usual,” Harry said, and then summoning his courage, “Look, there’s something I haven’t been telling you guys about the detentions.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Hermione immediately aside the homework she had been working on and focused her attention on Harry. Ron sat up slightly straighter next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry held out his hand to them and they both leaned forward to get a closer look. Hermione gasped when she saw the words cut into his hand and Ron seemed to be rendered speechless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that from the use of a blood quill?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“They’re illegal,” Ron finally managed to say, “You should complain about this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Harry said firmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell us?” Hermione asked slowly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugged.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s an awful woman,” Hermione continued in a small voice, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You know, I was just saying to Ron what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we’re not going to learn any Defence from her at all. We’ve got to do something about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What can we do?” Ron said, yawning. “She’s got the job, she’s here to stay. Fudge’ll make sure of that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was thinking,” Hermione said tentatively, shooting a nervous look at Harry, “that maybe the time’s come when we should just - just do it ourselves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Harry asked suspiciously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves,” said Hermione.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come off it,” groaned Ron, “You want us to do extra work? You are aware that Harry and I are behind on homework again and it’s only the second week?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But this is so much more important than homework!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think there was anything in the universe more important than homework!” said Ron disbelievingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course there is,” said Hermione, “We need to prepare ourselves for what’s waiting out there. It’s about making sure we can defend ourselves. We can’t just learn things out of books anymore. We need a proper teacher, someone who can show us how to use the spells, correct us if we’re wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re talking about Lupin…” Harry began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No, he’s too busy with the Order and anyway we would only be able to see him at Hogsmeade weekends and that isn’t nearly often enough.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who, then?” Harry asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harry,” Hermione said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stared at her blankly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that’s an idea,” said Ron.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Harry said, confused at Ron’s support of this new, farfetched idea of Hermione’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’m not a teacher, I can’t -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry, you’re the best in our year at Defence and I’m not just talking test results. Think about what you’ve done!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry just frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’m not sure I want someone this stupid teaching us Defence,” Ron said, smirking and then turned serious. “Come on, Harry, in first year, you saved the Philosopher's Stone from You-Know-Who..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that was luck,” said Harry, “It wasn’t skill -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Second year,” Ron interrupted, “You killed the basilisk and destroyed Riddle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn’t turned up, I -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Third year,” said Ron, louder still, “you fought off about a hundred dementors at once -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that was a fluke, if the Time-Turner hadn’t -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last year,” Ron said, almost shouting now, “you fought off You-Know-Who again -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen to me!” Harry said, almost angrily, “It sounds great when you say it like that, but all that stuff was luck - I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, I didn’t plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help. Don’t sit there grinning like you know better than I do. I was there, all right? I didn’t get through any of that because I was good at Defence. I got through it because - because help came at the right time or I guessed right - but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing  - STOP LAUGHING! You don’t know what it was like. It’s not just memorising a bunch of spells and throwing them at him. The whole time you know there’s nothing between you and dying except your own brain or guts or whatever, like you can think straight when you know you’re a nanosecond away from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die. You two sit there acting like I’m a clever little boy to be standing here alive, as if Cedric was stupid or messed up but it would have been me if he hadn’t needed me to come back.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Ron and Hermione weren’t smiling any more. In fact, they looked almost ashamed. Ron was the first one to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“We weren’t having a go at Diggory, mate, we didn’t….” Ron trailed off, unsure of what to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry,” Hermione said timidly, “don’t you see? This is why we need you...we need to know what it’s really like facing...V-Voldemort.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry said nothing, but in Hermione saying Voldemort’s name for the first time, he felt almost calmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think about it?” Hermione said, “Please?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron and Hermione went to bed following this but Harry remained seated, feeling more overwhelmed than he had been previously. He was surprised though that nothing more had been said about his hand but it seemed Hermione had more important things she wanted from him this year. It seemed that he couldn’t catch a break this year. One thing followed another and when he finally went to bed, it was with his head spinning and his ears ringing. He fell into bed, exhausted, and yet unable to sleep for a while. And when he did finally fall into a slumber, it was a restless night, once more punctuated with dreams of Cedric and the graveyard, and the long unknown  corridors and locked doors. The next morning he awoke with his scar prickling. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On Saturday the following week, Harry found that having spent more time with Severus, it was slowly getting easier to bear the once hurtful comments aimed at him. When Harry reached Severus’s office, having told Ron and Hermione he wasn’t feeling very well, Draco was already inside and Snape beckoned him in before continuing to say to Draco, “Speaking of the boy. I don’t know why you had to get me involved in one of Potter’s plans, Draco. This can only go wrong.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco rolled his eyes at Harry who ignored Severus and said, “You all set?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and my parents are meeting us in Diagon Alley as planned,” Draco confirmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great,” Harry said, and then looked up at the clock in the room. “We should really get going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Draco agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snape nodded and grabbed his travelling cloak from a hook on next to the door before ushering the two boys out. They followed Severus down the corridor, all of them preparing to talk of their cover story if they were to run into anyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully with it being a Saturday, it was rare to find people lingering in the corridors, especially on a day like today, the rain thundering down and a chilly breeze straining through the castle. On days like these, most people were found tucked in the warmth of their common rooms or dormitories, or commonly for students in fifth, sixth, or seventh year in the library. Severus led the out of the castle and grounds without any bother and as soon as they were out of the castle boundaries, Severus apparated them into a secluded alley in Diagon Alley where Draco Malfoy's parents stood, refined but clearly apprehensive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they appeared in the corridor Narcissa was the first to approach the three, wrapping Draco in a hug, while Lucius stood slightly back, a hand on Narcissa's shoulder as he looked Harry up and down, clearly uncertain about what he had gotten himself into. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus stepped between his son and his old friend and immediately offered his hand to the man before him. Lucius came slightly forward then and grasped his hand firmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry took a couple of steps back then, suddenly uncomfortable as he witnessed this family reunion - it quickly became clear to Harry that Mr Malfoy regarded his father highly and considered him one of the family. He didn't belong here, amongst these people. There was no place for him. But then Draco was pulling away from his mother's embrace and he had gripped Harry's shoulder and was pulling him forward to stand next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Harry, this is my mother. Mother, this is Harry, the person you have to thank for this arrangement," Draco said, smiling warmly at Harry. Harry just rubbed his neck nervously before raising his eyes to meet Mrs Malfoy's. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs Malfoy," Harry said and, copying his father's example, held out his hand to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Narcissa took it and said, "And you, Mr Potter."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mum, I told you to call him, Harry," Draco whinged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Narcissa rolled her eyes at Harry, who smiled slightly, and then she addressed him once more, saying, "Would you like me to call you, Harry?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Er, I mean, I would probably prefer it, but only if you're comfortable, if not, it's really okay whatever," Harry murmured, stumbling over his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Harry it is," Narcissa replied, gracing him with a smile, endeared by this awkward Harry Potter, surprised that he wasn't more like James Potter, or even just an arrogant prat who thought he walked on water. She had expected bragging about what he had helped do for them, about what he had done in the past, but he said nothing about any of that. He just seemed...shy, nervous, quieter than she could ever have expected, even though she knew that he could be quite the smart ass when he wanted to be. Both Draco and Severus had told her and Lucius enough about his clever quips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should go,” Severus said abruptly, turning to the group as a whole, “I’ll take Lucius and Draco first, and then I’ll be back for you two.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Everyone nodded at the plan and seconds later, Severus, Lucius, and Draco were gone. It wasn’t much longer when Severus returned and took him and Mrs Malfoy to where Draco and Lucius were waiting. Spinner’s End was a gloomy looking street with the factories close by. This was obvious to Harry for he could both hear the humming and the houses were slightly blackened and the sky heavily clouded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus led the way down the street, Harry once more lingering behind the group as Draco caught up with his parents, Lucius questioning him on his schoolwork while his mother just seemed glad to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they entered the gate to the safe house, Severus opened the door and let the Malfoys in before closing the door behind them and holding out an arm to stop Harry from following. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're sure about your decision?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Absolutely," Harry replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus nodded and then said, after scrutinising his face a moment, "Are you okay?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, fine," Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Harry…" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine, Severus. Let's just go!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus opened the door and Harry went in, Severus right behind him. The Malfoys were standing in the kitchen, Lucius's disdain for the house showing clearly on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus sighed and addressed his attitude. "Look, Lucius, I know it's not what you're used to but this will keep you safer than your mansion, and he won't think to look for you here. This will work." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lucius hummed and then said, "And you trust the boy? I hope you have been disciplining him properly in the midst of all this planning."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I trust him with this. He has no reason to tell the Dark Lord of your whereabouts."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco, sensing the tension in the room, and feeling strangely bad for Harry, said, "Okay, let's get this done. And Dad, I trust Harry, that should be enough for you. And we don't need a big house. Home is where the family are, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're turning soft, Draco," Lucius reprimanded gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco flushed and then said, a renewed strength in his eyes, "No. I'm just learning what's truly important."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lucius's eyes turned on Harry then and said, "I think you've been a bad influence on my son. When this is all over, I expect you to stay away from him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dad!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't wish to hear it, Draco. Severus, let's do this charm and get this over with."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the Fidelius Charm performed, Draco hugged his parents goodbye and returned with Harry and Severus to the school. Harry was very quiet while Draco and Severus talked potions. Draco certainly seemed a lot happier with his parents under protection and Harry was happy to let him bask in his new talkative and curious while he was left to his own thoughts. It seemed that Lucius Malfoy would never like him, and he never expected it, but there was something about him that Harry just couldn't shake. The way he was with Draco, the way he seemed unable to take his eyes off Harry himself - it worried Harry. Maybe he was overreacting, maybe Lucius was just purely worried that Harry would betray them but it didn't seem like that was all it was. It had felt more like he was sizing him up, trying to gauge a sense of his power and magical abilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shook his head and said goodbye to Draco before heading up the marble staircase and back to Gryffindor Tower to find his friends. He found himself feeling disconnected to his surroundings, almost as though his mind and body were separated from each other. He hated when this happened to him, hated feeling as though he was only in control of certain parts of him. He knew that the only way to rejoin them was to rejoin his friends. He relied on their familiar presence now more than ever, needed Hermione's habitual vents about his homework and revision, needed Ron's comforting sense of humour and carefree attitude towards school; he needed the balance of his Ying and his Yang to make him feel more connected to the world once more. And though they weren't always the most helpful or understanding friends in the world, he knew one thing for certain: they both cared about him, a trait that he found was only certain in them, no matter how much he found he wanted to believe Severus's words and expressions. Sometimes he did find himself wondering if he still meant the things he said in the classroom and around others. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so he was pleased to find Ron and Hermione sitting on the floor by the fire, Hermione correcting one of Ron's essays, talking him through everything that was wrong with it. Harry joined them, lowering himself down and pulling both of them suddenly into a hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he pulled away, Hermione said, "Are you feeling better? You've been gone a while." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Er, yeah," Harry said, once again feeling bad for lying to his best friends, "I was in the bathroom a while and when I didn't feel any better I went to Madam Pomfrey and she gave me something to settle my stomach."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione looked like she wanted to ask something further but then decided against it. Instead she said, "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better at any rate." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, mate, you had us worried," Ron put in, "We weren't sure if you'd got an infection or something in your arm because of that awful quill."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, right, no, just a little bug. Easily fixed," Harry said and grinned at them. "Now, anything interesting that I've missed?" </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that because I'm going back to college next week, I don't know when I'm going to have chance to update this fic. It is not being abandoned but the updates may just be not as regular and will just be updated when chapters are ready. I'm hoping it won't be affected too much but in case it is I just wanted to pre-warn everyone. I'm really thankful for the support of this fic so far, all the comments and kudos are really appreciated. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On the Friday following the outing with the Malfoys, Harry headed down for his regular meeting with Severus. It was slowly becoming easier for each of them to move past their previous attitudes towards one another and they spent that evening discussing the events of Saturday. Harry hoped that Severus wouldn’t bring up Lucius Malfoy - he didn’t want to lie to Severus but nor did he want to tell him how the man had made him feel. He could see that Severus valued his friendship with the man despite their differences. But his hoping was for nothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And his parents? What did you think of them in this encounter?” Severus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry inwardly groaned, but said, “His mother seemed nice. I’m not sure about his father though - I kind of felt like I was his prey or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus inclined his head and said, “I’m sure he didn’t mean to make you feel like that. He is a very hard man to get to know but I’m sure he will come around in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Severus - he told me to stay away from Draco,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, but he is probably just concerned for his safety - if anyone found out that he had been hanging about with you, it would put his family in grave danger,” Severus tried to explain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry just nodded but he left Severus’s room that night with a heavy heart. He certainly didn’t want to get in the way of Severus and Lucius’s friendship however it didn’t stop him feeling hurt that Severus didn’t at least try to understand the way Lucius had made him feel. It was just a reminder that even though they were gradually learning how to behave with one another, there was still a long way to go for them. Maybe it would never get better. He wanted to talk to someone about everything, tell someone how he felt. He thought of Ron and Hermione though the thought of telling them was quickly dispelled - he loved them but he didn’t think they wouldn’t be able to accept this, at least not yet. He thought about telling Hagrid but he wasn’t at Hogwarts anymore, and besides he knew what Hagrid was like with secrets. The only person Harry really wanted to tell was Cedric. He had understood almost anything Harry had told him, and with the exception of Hermione, it felt like Cedric was the only one who believed that he hadn’t put his name in the Goblet of Fire. How he missed him. He was kind and generous, and encompassed all the best qualities of each house - he was brave, resourceful, loyal, and wise. What Harry wouldn’t give to bring him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>**************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione approached the topic of Harry teaching two weeks from when she first mentioned it, and he would have been lying if Harry had said that he hadn’t thought about the idea of teaching his friends about Defence, if he said he hadn’t found himself more than once drifting off into thoughts about what he could teach his fellow classmates. And so it was that on the first Hogsmeade weekend of the term, Harry was following Hermione and Ron into the Hog’s Head and meeting with nearly thirty students all gathered to hear what Harry had to say. It did cross his mind that many of them seemed only desperate to know about what had happened in the graveyard with Cedric but Harry didn’t tell them - it was painful enough having to relive everything that had happened when he had told people last year. Yet he found that everyone still signed up, and he was surprisingly happy and grateful for it. He felt like he was doing something good now, something useful to the war effort. If all these students could be trained to defend themselves, then they stood a better chance of fighting when Voldemort did decide to show his face once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was wrapped in similar thoughts as he sat in the common room that night and thought about what he could teach these students who were all of different ages but who were all eager to rebel against Umbridge, even if it was just so they could pass their exams. But it suddenly struck him that no Slytherins had attended the meeting, yet shouldn’t the students from that house also be given a chance to fight? After all, he knew of Draco’s feelings towards Umbridge and her curriculum and he also knew how he felt about Voldemort. Would Draco want to fight and, if he did, would he be willing to join a secret society in order to do so?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione,” Harry said cautiously. Ron was currently engaged in a game of Wizard’s Chess with Neville so Harry decided to make good on his opportunity to speak with her alone. “Why weren’t any of the Slytherins invited to the Hog’s Head today?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione tutted and then said, “Do you even need to ask?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just, well, have you ever thought that they’re not as bad as they seem? Like, as soon as they’re placed in Slytherin people seem to automatically turn against them, believe they’re going to turn evil. But they’re kids, just like you and me. And maybe we push them to behave like they do because we treat them as such. What if they think there is no point in trying to be good when everyone is going to think you’re a monster anyway?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Hermione had stopped writing now, and was listening to Harry intently. Her eyes roved over the fire but Harry could tell she was considering what he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I want to approach Draco,” Harry said after a moment, “Talk to him about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Malfoy?!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think I might be able to get through to him,” Harry said vaguely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What gives you that idea?” Hermione said, sounding more and more appalled by the second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione,” Harry implored, “I need you to trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>But before she could reply, Ron had returned, chess set in his arms and saying, “I won! Not that there was going to be any question about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry and Hermione gave Ron they’re congratulations before Hermione started talking to him about getting some of his homework done now and when Ron turned to rummage in his bag, Hermione caught Harry’s eye and nodded at him. He grinned in thanks and then pulled out his own homework. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*********************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco had not been expecting any mail the next morning yet a letter arrived. Curious, he opened it and was surprised to see Harry’s strangely familiar scrawl saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>The usual, tonight</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll pick you up</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And who was he to deny Harry after everything he had done for him recently. And so it was that Draco stood awkwardly outside the Slytherin portrait hole at five to midnight, awaiting Harry and his invisibility cloak. When he turned up, Draco slipped under and they headed for the Astronomy Tower where it was safe to talk in peace and without fear. It had become a safe space for them and they both appreciated the idea of freedom it provided for them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling off the cloak, Draco was quick to pat down his hair ensuring that no hair was out of place before taking his usual place on the floor next to Harry. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry sighed and dived straight in, “Do you want to join an illegal secret society to learn to defend yourself properly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Draco gaped at Harry for a moment and then said, “Hell yeah!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled in relief and then proceeded to explain everything to Draco who seemed surprisingly excited about this recent development, even when Harry explained the dangers it might put his family in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Draco said, “But I’m not going to stand by like they usually do. If you’re fighting and Granger’s fighting, then yeah I’m fighting too. We’re all putting things at risk by doing this but I won’t be a coward. And besides I really want to have some strange sense of satisfaction that we’re getting one up on Umbridge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry laughed and then said, “Yeah to be honest I think that’s why most people are doing it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>There was a content silence for a moment and then Draco said, “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry frowned. “For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“For trusting me with this. I know it would have been easy not to, especially with your friends and everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry just shrugged and then said, “Yeah, Hermione wasn’t thrilled and no one else knows but she gave permission and I do so you can come and bring any friends you trust too. If you say they’re safe, then I believe you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Really?” Draco said hopefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah really,” Harry said, “And I’m telling you now, if anyone gives you any trouble for attending the first meeting then I will personally make it my life’s mission to give them trouble for the rest of eternity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Draco laughed again and said, “You know, Harry? You’re not what I thought you were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Right back at you.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, sorry for the delay with this chapter. I really hope it's worth the wait :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It became obvious on Monday morning with Umbridge’s new announcement banning all groups from forming without her express permission that she most likely knew of their meeting at the Hog’s Head over the weekend. However, this wasn’t going to make Harry abandon their plan. He finally had something that made him feel worth something, as if he could bring some good to people instead of just burdening them with his existence. He promised Angelina he would be on his best behaviour so she could get Umbridge to sign off on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and then headed for History of Magic which was more eventful than any lesson he had had before what with the arrival of an injured Hedwig and discovering that means of communication in and out of Hogwarts were being watched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they arrived in Potions, Harry was dwelling on the letter he had had from Sirius saying ‘Same time, same place.’ He knew what this meant but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea, not with the floo network being watched. It made him nervous and it wasn’t helped by Umbridge’s presence in the classroom, inspecting his father’s teaching. Harry could barely focus on his potion at all that day, his Strengthening Solution going from poor to terrible as he fretted over Severus’s fate at the hands of Umbridge. He was way too distracted by their current conversation to think straight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...seem fairly advanced for their level,” Umbridge was saying. “Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus. Now. How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Fourteen years,” Severus replied calmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You applied first for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you were unsuccessful?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry gave a very Snape-like smirk at his father’s remark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suggest you ask him,” Snape said icily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Umbridge wrote something on her clipboard and stalked off in the direction of the Slytherins, Snape met Harry’s eyes and gave a small incline of the head before continuing his prowl of the room. He soon came to stand by Harry’s and looked into his cauldron which was nowhere close to what it was supposed to look like and gave off a foul odour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No marks again, Potter,” Severus said and wiped his cauldron clear of the Potion with his wand. “You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Harry bit out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the lesson came to an end, Snape ordered Harry to stay behind and Hermione gave him a pitying though curious look as she and Ron left. Ron just shrugged helplessly at him and said he’d see him at the Great Hall. Harry just nodded before walking over to Severus who had his head in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Harry asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That woman is...is…” Severus appeared speechless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An old toad?” Harry supplied, throwing himself down into the chair opposite Severus’s desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus smiled at him and said, “Yes, I think that suits her nicely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I thought so too,” Harry said, grinning, but then turned serious. “But you are okay, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes, Harry, I’m okay. Tired, and most definitely not in the mood to put up with her nonsense. It’s really no wonder you ended up in detentions all those times. I’m starting to think that if something bad happened to her, very mysteriously, and I was perhaps, all hypothetical of course, accused of this something, it might actually be worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry laughed. He always appreciated Severus’s dark humour when it wasn’t aimed at him and his friends. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And are you okay, Harry? You seemed distracted during today’s lesson,” Severus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I just had a few things on my mind, and then her turning up here made it worse. I was a bit worried about what she would be like with you,” Harry admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You needn’t worry about me, Harry. I can handle her. You focus on your lesson. Is there anything you want to talk about though? You said there were other things,” Severus prompted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Harry said nervously, staring down at his hands. He couldn’t continue, but he felt Severus’s eyes on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh Merlin, what have you done?” Severus asked suddenly, though his tone was light and playful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry played with a loose thread on his jumper before saying, “There’s two things.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Severus said, sitting up straighter, realising how nervous Harry really was in talking to him about this. “Just tell me. I won’t get angry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry took a deep breath and said, “Sirius wants to floo Gryffindor Tower late tonight, like he has done a couple times in the past, but Umbridge is watching communications in and out of Hogwarts and Sirius might get caught.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Severus said carefully, “That can be easily fixed. I can get Dumbledore to apparate there tonight, ensure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I don’t need his help,” Harry muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus regarded Harry for a moment and then said, gently, “What was the second thing on your mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry tugged on the thread of his jumper, unravelling the cotton now as he wound it around his finger. Severus reached over and placed his hand over Harry’s, stilling his movements. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry swallowed and then said quickly without taking a single breath, “I’m setting up an illegal Defence group for any students who want to learn how to fight or just pass their exams.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus blinked. He had not expected this to come out from his son’s mouth. He was stunned for a moment but then he gathered himself and said, “Umbridge suspects something, doesn’t she? That’s why she introduced that new decree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry nodded glumly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re going to go ahead with it anyway, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Obviously,” Harry said and offered Severus a small smirk with the echo of his words to Umbridge during the potions lesson. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus chuckled slightly at this and then said, “I’m not going to stop you, Harry. This is not my choice to make and I know you’re going to do it whatever I say. But just please be careful. I don’t know what will happen if Umbridge finds out for sure what you’re doing, but...I can’t lose you again. I won’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry met Severus’s eyes then as Severus showed a rare display of vulnerability. Then suddenly, Harry found himself on his feet and hugging Severus who held him tightly back, shocked but pleased at this new development. One of Severus’s hands cradled Harry’s head while the other supported his back. Harry felt another sense of safety here within his father’s hands, as if in this place nothing could touch him, and there was more life had to offer him yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon Harry pulled away though and grabbed his bag before hurrying from the room quickly with a brief ‘Thanks’ to his father. Harry was almost frightened by these new developments in their relationship, scared of how his mind referred to Severus as ‘Dad’ now, that this was how he saw him, and yet all his other instincts told him that this was not a good idea - do not get attached or it will be snatched from you like everything else. But he couldn’t deny how it felt to be shown love by Severus. It was different with him than with Sirius. His godfather seemed to have expectations of him to be like James and the other Marauders, to be more than who he was, but Severus just wanted him to be him, and to be safe. It was a new and overwhelming though not unwelcome feeling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span> When he found Hermione and Ron in the Great Hall, he slid down onto the bench next to them, paying little attention to their current argument. He was pleased he had confided in Severus about their Defence plans, pleased he hadn’t tried to stop him, and instead accepted that it was going to happen whether he liked it or not. He hadn’t been outraged and Harry had got the impression that he had almost approved if it hadn’t been for the fact that it put Harry right in the crosshairs of Umbridge’s wrath. Not that he wasn’t already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he went to Defence Against the Dark Arts with a lighter heart than usual, paying no attention Umbridge or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Defensive Magical Theory</span>
  </em>
  <span>, instead finding his thoughts wrapped up in his own lesson plans for the group, Draco Malfoy and the Slytherins, and his own relationship with Severus whose arm was now burning with the call from the Dark Lord himself. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated this fic. I've had a lot going on at the moment (as we all have with one thing and another), and college has been a lot of work too. This fic hasn't been abandoned though, and I finally come bearing a new chapter.</p><p>This chapter goes a bit wild plot wise, I think, but I hope it's okay. Also this fic probably won't have a regular updating schedule anymore and I'll just be posting when chapters are ready and if I'm feeling up to it. </p><p>Thank you so much for the support this fic has had so far and once again, I apologise for the long delay between chapters. </p><p>I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Severus strode into the house in Little Hangleton where Voldemort had currently set up his headquarters, walking through the dimly lit hallways and towards the dining hall where he knew Voldemort and maybe some of his Death Eaters would be waiting. The old floorboards creaked beneath his feet and it would have been impossible for anyone not to hear him coming. He wondered what the meeting was about. It was completely unexpected to be called out to a meeting during school hours and he was lucky he hadn’t had to make arrangements for any cover teacher as he didn’t have a class right now. But as soon as he pushed open the door to the dining hall, the door protesting loudly on rusty hinges, he realised that this was no ordinary meeting. Only a small number of Death Eaters were present and sat around the long table and Severus quickly noted their faces: Rodolphus Lestrange and, unfortunately, his wife Bellatrix; the Carrow twins - Alecto and Amycus; and Wormtail was cowering in his own corner of the room. But what surprised Severus the most was that Lucius Malfoy, who should have currently been in hiding, was sitting at Voldemort’s left, muttering quietly to him, and Voldemort was smiling inanely at his words. Something was definitely wrong - Lucius shouldn’t be here. He should be tucked away with Narcissa at Spinner’s End. </p><p> </p><p>Severus stepped forward uncertainly, hoping his hesitance didn’t go noticed by Voldemort. He bowed to the man, trying to maintain his innocent facade, before taking his allotted seat on Voldemort’s right side. Voldemort instantly held up a hand to stop Lucius from talking anymore and then turned to Severus. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Severus. We can finally get started.”</p><p> </p><p>“My apologies, my lord.”</p><p> </p><p>Voldemort inclined his head upwards and then turned to address the group as a whole. </p><p> </p><p>“I require your presence here today as Lucius has brought to me some new information about a plan he has been putting into place, a plan we must ensure is followed through.” </p><p> </p><p>What was going on?</p><p> </p><p>“Lucius has a plan?!” Bellatrix exclaimed, her face a picture of incredulity as she sat fervently forward in her chair. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Bellatrix, now do not interrupt,” Voldemort responded</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix slouched back into her chair, looking sullen. </p><p> </p><p>“Now as we all know, we have yet to breach the Department of Mysteries, and it has been unexpectedly difficult to do so without giving away my current status and confirming the truths that the Ministry believes to be lies. With them not believing Harry Potter, we have various advantages. However, it would be more ideal if somehow we could lead him right into my grasp. And as hard as you all might find it hard to believe,” Voldemort continued, looking at Bellatrix, “Lucius has had a very good plan.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus swallowed. </p><p> </p><p>“Lucius has employed Draco to create a bond with the boy, to gain his trust and eventually lead him straight to me. We are all aware of Harry Potter’s trusting nature, his desire to see the good in people and give them chances, and Lucius has told me that Draco has already started chipping away at the boy’s defences. Hopefully this will mean that he will soon be here, his fate in my hands. We must not hinder Draco’s attempts and once the boy is here, there will be no further need for concern. He will be destroyed and the Wizarding World will be mine to dictate. These plans are best kept to within only our knowledge the deceptiveness of the plan requires the most stealth and secrecy that we can give it. In the meantime, we will continue our attempts to retrieve the prophecy, but I want us to be ready for the possibility of Draco bringing the boy here and, Severus, you must aid his attempts in any way you can. The boy must fully trust Draco for this plan to work.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus nodded but had no idea how he managed to maintain his cover. Anger and betrayal bubbled violently beneath his skin, like a potion that had gone wrong, and his fingers imperceptibly clenched tighter together as he listened to this new trap planned by Lucius to use Draco to trap his son using some of Harry’s best qualities. Harry had behaved exactly as Lucius knew he would and because of this told Voldemort of his plan which would lead to Harry’s death. How had he let this happen? Why had he trusted Lucius and Draco’s intentions? How could he have been so stupid?</p><p> </p><p>As he felt the new life he was building crumbling all around him, he vaguely registered the voices of the other Death Eaters asking questions and making suggestions to the plan. He slowly came back around to the conversation as Bellatrix said, “Are we sure Draco is up for the job?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course he is,” Lucius snapped, “he’s my son.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what worries me,” was Bellatrix’s quick reply. </p><p> </p><p>“Why you -” Lucius started, voice shaking with controlled fury. </p><p> </p><p>“Enough,” Voldemort said. “Bellatrix, I believe Draco will be more than capable. It’s not exactly like it’s difficult to gain the boy’s trust. Even I could trick him into believing something if I so desired.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus’s jaw clenched. </p><p> </p><p>“I assume you must be getting back to the school now, Severus.” </p><p> </p><p>Severus felt startled at Voldemort suddenly addressing him directly, but he quickly recognised his dismissal and nodded, standing up and bowing, before heading for the door. </p><p> </p><p>“And, Severus,” Voldemort called, “I expect regular updates on Draco’s progress with the boy.”</p><p> </p><p>“As you wish, my lord,” Severus replied and left the dining room, shutting the door quietly behind him. </p><p> </p><p>On the other side, he heard Bellatrix say, “And another thing, are you sure you trust Snape, my lord? He’s done some questionable stuff in the past, like -”</p><p> </p><p>“Quiet, Bellatrix. I alone know of Severus’s true loyalties and I will not have you question my judgement again.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus smirked, relieved to hear that Voldemort did not seem to suspect anything. He paused to see if Bellatrix had anything else to say but apparently she didn’t as of yet and so Severus left the grim house and apparated back to Hogsmeade. </p><p> </p><p>Out of the musty, damp air and into the bustling village, Severus felt like he could let his guard down slightly as his thoughts rolled incoherently through his head, unable as of yet to piece everything together and absorb the deception he and Harry had suffered at the hands of Lucius and his son. </p><p> </p><p>He had trusted Lucius. After all, the man had always looked out for him when he was at Hogwarts and after he had first joined the Death Eaters as a spy (not that Lucius had known that bit). Yes, at first he has been unsure of Draco’s motives for asking for Harry’s help, but after everything that had happened, he certainly hadn’t been expecting this - a whole plot to have Draco drag Harry intentionally to Voldemort, especially because he would never have expected this of Draco anyway. He might be a spoilt child, but he wasn’t a killer...was he? </p><p> </p><p>But then maybe he should have seen this coming, or at the very least Lucius’s part in it all. He suddenly remembered Harry’s words after they had met with Lucius and Narcissa to sort of the safe house: I kind of felt like I was his prey or something. And Severus had dismissed his son’s feelings. He wished he hadn’t. Harry was right, as he usually was. He was Lucius and Draco’s prey and he had missed it. For all his skills, he had been blinded by an already slowly fading friendship which may have just cost him his son. </p><p> </p><p>Severus walked quickly towards the castle, his racing thoughts making his footsteps more urgent. There had to be something he could do. He should tell Harry, but there was no way he could do this without the Dark Lord knowing it was him who had given away the plan. It would be far too suspicious if the boys’ growing friendship suddenly stopped immediately (or soon) after that day’s Death Eater. He supposed he could tell Harry, but tell him to keep up the act, but this was unreliable. Harry had been...emotionally fragile as of the end of fourth year (it would be strange if he wasn’t after everything that had happened) and there was no guarantee that Harry wouldn’t give the whole game away. They had already taken a huge risk with the discovery and development of their relationship. But he should really tell him. It was important that Severus was honest with Harry if they wanted to build a relationship, if he was to expect the same kind of honesty from Harry, something Harry had already offered to Severus with telling him about this illegal Defence group he was setting up. </p><p> </p><p>But so much was at stake here. Severus’s head spun. There were so many reasons he should tell Harry, and so many reasons why he shouldn’t. For the first time in his life, Severus felt completely out of his depth. He had let Harry walk right into the Malfoys’ trap and he didn’t know if there was anything he could (or should) do to stop it. Wrapping his cloak more tightly around him, Severus decided that maybe another visit to Dumbledore was needed.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After tea in the Great Hall that evening, Severus joined Albus in the headmaster’s office, his head still reeling over everything that had happened at the Death Eater meeting earlier that day. His heart felt heavy with anger and betrayal and...a strange sense of impending loss. He sat, fingers twitching on the armrest of the chair, waiting for Albus, who was bent over a sheet of paper, to further acknowledge him. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, after what felt like hours to Severus but was probably only minutes, Albus looked up and said, “Now, Severus, what can I do for you?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Dark Lord called a meeting earlier and apparently a new plan to get to Harry has been put into place, and is being carried out as we speak.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus frowned and leaned forward. “What do you mean? Has he given up on the prophecy?” </p><p> </p><p>“No, Albus. But he does have a plan which he strongly believes will have Harry walking straight to his death.”</p><p> </p><p>“What, Severus?” Albus said, a slight harshness and impatience to his tone. </p><p> </p><p>“There is something I haven’t told you, and because of this it is my fault that we have ended up in this situation,” Severus began. He took a deep breath, trying to compose his thoughts. “Harry has been building a relationship with Draco Malfoy, a relationship that has resulted in Harry protecting the Malfoys as their secret keeper for a safe house. Draco had come to Harry in a time of need, claiming that he and his family no longer wanted to be a part of Voldemort’s following or have anything else to do with him. They wanted out. Harry believed them and came to me, and I believed them, and so they went into hiding. Or at least that’s what we thought.” Severus stopped, giving Dumbledore a chance to register and catch up with everything that he had been excluded from knowing recently. The older man was staring at his desk, clearly unimpressed with Severus for having not told him about all of this sooner. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t long before Albus looked at him again though and said, “Go on.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus nodded and continued. “Today I learned that this was all a plot. An idea of Lucius’s for Draco to gain Harry’s trust so that he could eventually lead him to Voldemort. Apparently, Lucius had wanted to set the plan in motion to see if it would work before taking it to the Dark Lord himself, hence the current situation.”</p><p> </p><p>Dumbledore stayed silent for a few minutes after Severus had finished speaking, but Severus said nothing. He knew the man well enough now to know that he was thinking and not to interrupt him. </p><p> </p><p>“And you’re coming to me now because…” </p><p> </p><p>The last thing Severus had expected to have to do was explain to Albus why he was here now, but he had a sinking feeling that Albus just wanted him to show some regret for not having told Albus sooner, as if this admittance was a way to humiliate him and shame him into never doing anything like this again. </p><p> </p><p>“Because I don’t know what to do, Albus!” Severus declared, standing up and beginning to pace the floor of Dumbledore’s office. “If we let this play out, Harry is dead. If we stop it, my role as a spy and the future of the Wizarding World is put at risk. I keep thinking I should tell Harry, warn him about what’s going on, but tell him to keep up the act, but we both know how unstable his emotions are at the moment. He could give everything away.”</p><p> </p><p>“And yet you remain comfortable with him knowing about his true parentage, and the possibility that this information could get to Voldemort, and once again give everything away? Why should he not know about Draco and still keep up the act?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s different!”</p><p> </p><p>“How?” Albus responded, his voice annoyingly calm and steady. </p><p> </p><p>“Because he should know that I’m his father, he should have known longer than he has!”</p><p> </p><p>“And he doesn’t deserve to know he’s being played by the Malfoy boy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well...yes, I suppose…” Severus stopped pacing.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to know what I think, Severus? I think you don’t want Harry to know because you were pleased that they were becoming friends, that after everything Lucius helped you through in school and when you were first accepted into the Death Eaters, even though it was just an act, you wanted Draco and Harry to become friends, in honour of that history. You wanted your son to see the good in Draco because of how the Malfoys had accepted you into their family, and you hoped they might accept Harry too eventually and Harry would accept them.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus didn’t say anything. He could feel that Albus was probably right. He knew other people better than they knew themselves sometimes. </p><p> </p><p>“I am displeased that you have kept all of this from me, Severus, but I’m glad you have sought my advice now. I do believe that, for now, it will be best to keep this from Harry. Let the boys build a friendship. We might be able to use this to our advantage ourselves, and you’re right - we don’t want to put your cover at any more risk than it already is.”</p><p> </p><p>Severus sat down again and nodded slowly. “You’re certain this will be the best thing right now?”</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Albus replied, a slight twinkling in his eye. “Sometimes there is more than what reaches the surface, Severus.”</p><p> </p><p>“I realise that now,” Severus said, his heart clenching.</p><p> </p><p>Albus shook his head. “You misunderstand me, Severus.”</p><p> </p><p>The Potions Master frowned but decided not to ask. He knew he would not get a proper answer. Standing up once more, Severus took a deep breath before deciding to take his leave. “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Please keep me better informed,” Albus said. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Albus,” Severus said and left the headmaster’s office, hoping that this time he was right to trust the man.</p><p> </p><p>*********************</p><p> </p><p>Albus stared out over the Hogwarts grounds as he thought over the new developments that Severus had brought to him earlier that evening. It had been unexpected to say the least. The last Albus had been aware, Draco and Harry were still bitter rivals, though it wasn’t surprising he had missed this turn in their relationship due to his plans to put distance in his own relationship with the boy. However, Albus could not say that he was irked by this change, even if there was some manipulation on the Malfoy boy’s part. Firstly, there was the possibility that Draco might find he actually likes Harry and not want to give up Harry to Voldemort after all, meaning Albus would gain another ally and spy. </p><p> </p><p>(He supposed it was for this reason that Severus had not wanted to tell him in the first place.)</p><p> </p><p>On the other hand, if Draco still wanted to hand Harry over to Voldemort, and Harry somehow found this out after bonding with him, it would work perfectly in terms of Dumbledore’s previous plan. It would break Harry’s trust of outsiders and more importantly, make him doubt his new relationship with Severus. Harry’s trust would return to only himself, Ron and Hermione, and certain members of the Order of the Phoenix, particularly Sirius, who Dumbledore did know Harry was struggling to maintain a relationship with, and it would put all of Dumbledore’s plans back to the way they were before Harry’s true parentage had been rediscovered. But for this to happen, it was important that Harry’s bond with Draco was at full strength first. Yes, this could work out very well for him, and his plans for the war, indeed.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: Some of the lines in this chapter have been taken directly from JK Rowling's Order of the Phoenix. </p><p>Back with Harry this chapter! It's the first DA meeting, with a twist haha. I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry’s scar throbbed painfully as he sat with Ron in the Gryffindor common room after a difficult Quidditch practice in the rain. He kept his eyes glued to his Potions textbook, trying to ignore the concerned glances Ron kept sending him, and silently willing the boy to go to bed. He really just wanted to be left alone and so was relieved when Ron finally announced that he was off to bed. Harry really wanted to do a good job on this Potions essay, wanting to impress Severus, but he wasn’t getting anywhere with it tonight, his thoughts swelling and merging together, pressing against his forehead as a number of different things fought for attention at the forefront of his mind. Then there was his scar, pulsing softly now as it tried to lull him into its own desires. And then he was tired and comfortable in the red, plush armchair and his eyelids were drooping with the warmth of the fire and the familiar comfort of its crackling, and suddenly he was in that dimly lit corridor, hurrying along to the door he so longed to enter, determined and desperate to know what was on the other side. He felt himself reach for the door handle and his heart thumped in anticipation. He was so close - </p><p> </p><p>“Harry Potter, sir!”</p><p> </p><p>Harry startled awake, and sat bolt upright in the armchair, his neck cracking at the sudden movement, and his school materials slipping onto the floor with a loud thump. He brought a hand up to rub at his neck where he’d pulled it as he blinked his eyes into focus and came face to face with a house elf. </p><p> </p><p>“Dobby? What are you doing here?” </p><p> </p><p>The house elf’s wide green eyes shone with delight at seeing Harry and a huge smile came onto his face as he said, “Dobby was returning your owl Harry Potter. Professor Grubbly-Plank says she is all healed now.” Dobby released the owl he had been holding and she fluttered indignantly over to perch on Harry’s armchair. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Dobby,” Harry said, relieved to see Hedwig safe and well after her incident with the mail the previous day. He turned slightly in his chair to give Hedwig one of the owl treats he carried in his pocket and gave her a gentle stroke. “How are you, girl? I’m sorry about what happened to you.” The snowy owl hooted softly at him and accepted the <br/>treat he had offered her. </p><p> </p><p>“Harry Potter does not seem happy,” Dobby said, interrupting Harry from his moment with Hedwig. “Dobby heard him muttering in his sleep. Was Harry Potter having bad dreams?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry shook his head, and tried to offer the concerned elf a comforting smile.</p><p> </p><p>Dobby didn’t look convinced and his ears drooped. “Dobby wishes he could help Harry Potter, for Harry Potter set Dobby free and Dobby is much, much happier now.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t help me, Dobby, but thank you for the offer.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry gave Hedwig a last stroke before slipping from the armchair and kneeling on the rug to collect his school materials, and as he did so a sudden thought came to him. </p><p> </p><p>“Actually, Dobby, I wonder if there is something you can help me with.” </p><p> </p><p>“Name it, Harry Potter, sir!” the elf said, looking instantly happier. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I need to find a place where a lot of people, over thirty probably, can practice Defence Against the Dark Arts without being discovered by any of the teachers. Especially Professor Umbridge.” Harry knew this was a long shot, that it was unlikely that the elf could help him, but he had to try. </p><p> </p><p>The elf beamed and clapped his hands together. “Dobby knows the perfect place, sir! It is known as the Come and Go Room, sir, or else as the Room of Requirement.”</p><p> </p><p>“Huh,” Harry replied, curious. “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“It is a room people can only enter when they have real need of it. Sometimes it is there and sometimes it is not, but when it appears, it is always equipped for the seeker’s needs.”</p><p> </p><p>“How many people know about it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Very few, sir.”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds brilliant, Dobby! Would you be able to tell me where it is?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, Harry Potter, sir.”</p><p>					*****************</p><p>And so it was that that evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves in this Room of Requirement surrounded by everything they could possibly need for practising and learning about Defence Against the Dark Arts, and awaiting the arrival of everyone who had been at the Hog’s Head and the Slytherins Harry hoped Draco would bring along. Harry had not told Ron about his decision to ask the Slytherins along. As of yet, only Hermione knew about this, and they hadn’t even properly spoken about it. </p><p> </p><p>Harry was standing nervously against the wall lost in his own thoughts as Ron examined the various defence devices in the room and Hermione sat cross legged in the pile of cushions already diving into one of the books which had lined the bookcases around the room. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t long before students began to arrive in small groups though and they were all immediately awed at the place as Ron, Hermione, and Harry had been. There was a clear buzz running through the students too as they looked forward to this first session, wondering what it was going to be like and also enjoying the thrill of sneaking around learning Defence properly behind Umbridge’s back. Harry thought he could almost feel his magic coursing through his veins, both nervous and excited to get started. </p><p> </p><p>Hermione came over to Harry and Ron as they watched the students admiring the room, taking a place on Harry’s other side. </p><p> </p><p>“Is this not everyone, Harry?” Ron asked as everyone chatted, waiting for Harry to get started. </p><p> </p><p>“Er, not quite,” Harry said, pulling at a loose thread on his jumper. He felt rather than saw Hermione shoot him a nervous though piercing look which he wisely (Harry thought) chose to ignore. </p><p> </p><p>And then, not even a minute later, Draco Malfoy and several other Slytherins Harry knew by name (including Daphne Greengrass and her sister, Astoria; Theodore Nott; Blaise Zabini; Tracey Davis; and a boy Harry only knew as Urquhart from Quidditch) strolled into the room. </p><p> </p><p>When the door opened and shut loudly behind the group, everyone turned to look to see who else had turned up to join the group. Harry saw a number of jaw drops when they realised it was the Slytherins and the room went suddenly and eerily silent. Hermione shuffled marginally closer to Harry, her eyes darting towards him nervously. She still wasn’t sure inviting the Slytherins had been a good idea, but she knew that if this was to work she needed to trust her friend. </p><p> </p><p>Harry saw Draco smirk when he saw the stunned faces upon their arrival, but he instantly approached Harry, ignoring the onlookers. Harry just grinned at him. He had been worried that Draco wouldn’t show, or that he wouldn’t bring anyone with him, but he was pleased to see that he had. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Potter,” Draco said when he was close enough, “It is so typical of you to go for the dramatic. I take it you didn’t let the others know we’d be coming. Like a bit of excitement, don’t you? Poor Weasley here looks like all the blood has been drained straight out of him.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry glanced at Ron who had yet to say anything at all. He looked gobsmacked at the Slytherins’ arrival and at the fact that he and Harry apparently seemed to be on speaking terms. Harry just ignored him and looked back at Draco. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you came, Draco,” Harry said, and held out his hand. Draco shook it. </p><p> </p><p>It took some time, but it was Ginny who finally spoke up. “Er, Harry, I’m confused. What is he - are they - doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry turned away from Draco to face the group. “I invited them.”</p><p> </p><p>“You - invited them?” Ron finally spluttered. </p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” Harry said firmly. “Is that gonna be a problem?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes!” Zacharias Smith, one of the Hufflepuff boys, added. “They’re Slytherins! We can’t trust them! I didn’t join this group to become a miniature Death Eater. They’re probably going to betray us. Kill us even.” </p><p> </p><p>There was some talk moving through the group now, like a stone hitting water creating ominous ripples as they move fixedly across the surface. Harry looked at Ron who looked more furious than Harry had ever seen him, even more angry than when Harry’s name came out of the Goblet of Fire a year before. Then he looked at Hermione who shrugged minutely at him as if saying: You began this, now fix it. </p><p> </p><p>Harry felt the anger rising through his body as the talking got louder and insults were hurled towards the Slytherins who were all looking more uncomfortable by the second. Astoria looked on the verge of tears and her sister was gripping her hand in support. Draco had an eyebrow raised at him, clearly expecting Harry to do something about this. His fists clenched as he tried to control his temper but finally everything that had been internally threatening to burst out followed through. “Everyone shut up! This group isn’t about house rivalries. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of that, and frankly we should have invited them to the Hog’s Head when this whole thing started. We set up this group with one common goal - to be able to learn and practice Defence Against the Dark Arts properly. To stand up against the oppression we are facing by Umbridge and by extension the Ministry. I won’t stand for anybody discriminating against Slytherin house, or any of the other houses. This is an act of unity. </p><p> </p><p>“Have any of us actually taken the time to know the Slytherins? Or have we all just made assumptions? My guess is the latter. We isolated their house and then blamed any future conflicts on individuals we didn’t actually know because they were in Slytherin house. It isn’t right. They are just like us - kids who are having to face the same things we are, and who are having to grow up way faster than any of us should have to. </p><p> </p><p>“And now we will stand together. I don’t want to hear another word against them from this point forth. If I do, I’ll kick you out of the group, simple as that. And if anyone doesn’t like any of this, clear out now - I don’t want to have to deal with this again later on.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence overwhelmed the room with the end of Harry’s outburst and passionate defence of the Slytherins and Harry felt like he was suffocating with the weight of it. It was abruptly broken however when Zacharias Smith headed for the door, his footsteps louder than they should be in the otherwise dead quietness. </p><p> </p><p>Harry found he was actually relieved at this boy’s departure as after his behaviour tonight and in the Hog’s Head, he found didn’t really want him there. He was also thankful that everyone else stayed where they were.</p><p> </p><p>It was Draco who spoke first. “Well, Potter, I had been worried for a second there but I should have known you better to know that you certainly don’t break your word.” </p><p> </p><p>Harry smiled and nodded at him before addressing the other Slytherins. “Thank you for joining us - I’m truly pleased to have you all.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for the invite,” said Theodore Nott. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, thank you,” added Daphne and her sister gave him a shy smile. </p><p> </p><p>The others nodded at Harry to acknowledge his words and, satisfied, Harry turned to face the group as a whole once more. “Now, should we get started?”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone nodded or gave murmurs of agreement, so Harry continued. “Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about some stuff we ought to do first and - er -” He broke off when Hermione raised her hand. “What is it, Hermione?”</p><p> </p><p>“We should elect a leader,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, isn’t Harry the leader?” Draco said, frowning, “I thought that was one of the main points in this group.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, yes,” Hermione said, glaring at Draco, “But we ought to make it official. Vote on it properly to give him real authority. So - everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone raised their hands. Not that anyone dared not to after his previous outpouring of emotion. </p><p> </p><p>“Brilliant,” Hermione said. “I also think we need to have a name before we start.”</p><p> </p><p>Various people started shouting out ideas and they eventually settled on Dumbledore’s Army. Harry didn’t feel entirely comfortable with this, and shifted his weight onto his other foot, but everyone else seemed to like it and so he didn’t argue with it (Merlin knew he had caused enough trouble already).  He was just about to get started again when Hermione said, “And the Slytherins need to add their names to this list.” </p><p> </p><p>Hermione handed the list of names and a quill to Draco who gave her a wide grin as he signed it. The rest of the Slytherins followed suit (without the teasing grin) and then returned the list to Hermione who pinned it to the wall before moving to stand next to Harry once more.</p><p> </p><p>“You done?” Harry said, quirking an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione nodded, now clearly content and ready for Harry to continue.</p><p> </p><p>“Great. Now, I was thinking we should start with Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it sounds pretty basic but I’ve found it really useful in the past and it’s a good place to start, just to see where everyone’s at. Sound good?”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“Fantastic,” Harry said. “So let’s split up into pairs and start practicing.”</p><p> </p><p>Almost immediately, the room was once more filled with noise and movement as everyone found their friends and headed off for a clear space in the room. Harry watched the Slytherins pair up: Daphne paired with Astoria; Tracey paired with Theodore; and Urquhart paired with Blaise, leaving Draco on his own. Harry suspected this was deliberate as Draco wanted to protect his housemates from everyone else and the best way to ensure this was letting himself be partnered with someone from a different house. </p><p> </p><p>Harry scanned the room and saw Neville without a partner, but there was no chance he was pairing Draco with Neville right now. Draco would need someone evenly matched, someone who if they were able to accept the Slytherins, everyone else should be able to.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Harry?”</p><p> </p><p>“Would you mind pairing with Draco?”</p><p> </p><p>“Harry!” she hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“I know he’s treated you terribly in the past. But please trust me when I tell you he isn’t really like that. Please, Hermione. You’re the only one I trust to do this right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione sighed, clearly exasperated with him. It was that sigh she used when Harry and Ron hadn’t done their homework, or she had to do some of it for them, or they wanted her to check their essays over because they had no idea what they were doing, or because they weren’t studying when they should be.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Hermione said, resigned to her fate, “but you owe me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Anything you want,” Harry said. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Thank you so much for doing this.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione gave a grunt but her frown had softened all the same. </p><p> </p><p>Harry grinned and waved Draco over to them. </p><p> </p><p>“Draco,” Harry began, almost as if speaking to a child (Draco looked strangely close to laughing, “Hermione has very kindly agreed to be your partner so please behave yourself. I think you’ll both find yourselves well matched.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll behave, Potter,” Draco said, and then his eyes found Hermione’s as he held out his hand, the sign of a truce, an alliance. Hermione paused but then placed her hand in Draco’s. His grasp on her hand was firm as if trying to convey his honesty in this new development to her, and she oddly trusted this offer of unity. His skin felt smooth against her own rough, well worn hand, and she squeezed his hand gently to confirm their new pact before pulling her hand away, her skin tingling slightly under its now clammy surface.</p><p> </p><p>“Brilliant,” Harry said, clapping his hands together as the pair wandered off to find a space to practice. He turned to Ron now who was looking at him in disgust for having partnered Hermione with Draco. He ignored this and just said, “Ron, can you partner with Neville?”</p><p> </p><p>Ron looked like he wanted to say something but then thought better of it and mumbled something Harry didn’t quite catch before wandering off with Neville. </p><p> </p><p>Harry was now standing alone at the front of the room as the sounds of shouted incantations filled the space. Wands began flying in all directions and missed spells hit books or cushions sending them flying into the air. He began to walk around the around room to look at everyone’s individual attempts at the spell, dodging objects as they were accidentally hurled towards him, and he was now certain that his decision to start with the basics first had been a good one. There was a lot of bad spellwork going on, foolish wand-waving as his da- Severus might have said, and many were not succeeding in disarming their opponents at all. He stopped at most of the pairings to watch and make suggestions, correcting stances or wand movements, and also having some quick discussions about other things here and there. Luna was very proud to discuss her father’s support of any anti-ministry action and Harry was pleased to hear about this - it made him feel less alone. </p><p> </p><p>Harry was also happy to see Neville doing quite well against Ron, however this wasn’t really surprising as Ron was distracted by the duelling going on between Draco and Hermione. Ron’s face was red with contained fury and if looks could kill, then Draco would probably be dead. Harry shook his head and moved over to Draco and Hermione. He couldn’t blame Ron for being so intrigued by them (though Ron was watching them for the wrong reasons). The skill shown by both Draco and Hermione in both footwork and wand work was extraordinary and though it was rare for either one of them to actually manage to disarm the other, for both were prepared for every attempt and dodged well, when they did, the wand flew from their opponent’s hand with ease. Harry was also pleased to note that Hermione looked challenged for once and it was nice to see her thriving against worthier competition than himself or Ron. Though the pair didn’t seem to have spoken much at all, they had dived into the exercise with enthusiasm, both shining with perspiration and the desire to be better than the other. Harry smiled to himself and moved on, having no feedback to give to the pair. </p><p> </p><p>He was pleased with much of the work of the day’s lesson and already seeing some clear improvement with some of the suggestions he had made as he moved back round the room. The session was going better than he ever could have hoped for and didn’t want to call it to an end. But when he looked at his watch and saw the time, he knew he had to be getting people back to their common rooms before they were caught and punished by Umbridge or Filch and Mrs Norris. He brought the class to a stop.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, guys, but we’ve overrun. That was a pretty good session though, I’m really pleased. Same time, same place next week?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sooner!” said Dean Thomas eagerly and there were many people nodding in agreement. </p><p> </p><p>(Apparently the class had gone so well that the earlier disagreement with the arrival of the Slytherins had long been forgotten. Harry hoped that that was the end of it, but he worried that it wouldn’t be.)</p><p> </p><p>However Angelina reminded them all about the approaching Quidditch season so Harry stayed with his original plan, telling everyone that they’ll see about additional practices later on. </p><p> </p><p>Using the Marauder’s Map, Harry allowed people to leave in small groups and watched them safely to their common rooms before letting out the next lot. Finally, it was just Harry, Ron, and Hermione left with the Slytherins as Harry watched the last few Gryffindors arriving safely back at the tower. </p><p> </p><p>“Harry?” Draco said, drawing his attention immediately away from the map. Ron snapped his head up to look at Draco, surprised by his use of Harry’s first name. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” Harry said (he was not surprised by this).</p><p> </p><p>“We just wanted to thank you once again for inviting us into the group, and for defending us earlier. I know it probably wasn’t easy.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron looked like he had something to say but was clearly restraining in the fear of setting Harry off. </p><p> </p><p>Harry shook his head. “You don’t need to thank me. I was pleased to have you here. And the others, well...they’ll come around. They have to. Trust me when I say that saying all those things to them earlier was easier than you think, and I’ll do it again if I have to.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry heard Ron grunt next to him. Harry turned to him, at his wit’s end with his friend’s behaviour tonight. “You’re welcome to leave, Ron. We’ll meet you at the common room shortly.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron murmured something unintelligible but didn’t leave and Harry turned back to the Slytherins. They all seemed slightly nervous but pleased to have been at the meeting and they were all smiling at him, letting Draco take the lead but all silently showing their appreciation. Harry hated how blind he had been about the Slytherins before. </p><p> </p><p>“It was actually…really fun to duel with you, Malfoy. I appreciated the challenge,” Hermione spoke up. Harry was surprised and so it seemed was Draco, but he tried to brush it off.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well, don’t expect me to go easy on you all the time,” Draco said casually, straightening his tie.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione laughed. “Ha, give it your best shot, Malfoy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Game on, Granger,” Draco said, smirking.</p><p> </p><p>Harry’s heart lightened slightly at Hermione’s...acceptance of Draco. If she could accept his presence here, after the things he had done to her in the past, then surely the others who hadn’t suffered so much at Draco’s hand would be able to accept him and the other Slytherins too. And it’s not like they were a bad bunch. The girls who had come were never involved in anything of any serious nature, and Harry had only ever seen Nott and Zabini involved when - when they were defending their friends from the discrimination they faced at the hands of the other houses. </p><p> </p><p>“Right then, we’d probably best get going,” Draco continued. “We’ll see you all tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re all going together?” Harry said, hoping he would have been able to let them go in threes so there was less chance of them getting caught. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Draco said, rubbing his neck. “For us, the bigger the group the safer it is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Draco replied, and then he and the other Slytherins saw themselves out. Harry watched the Slytherins back to their common room and then he, Ron, and Hermione walked up to Gryffindor Tower in uncomfortable silence, all lost in their own thoughts. He wasn’t sure what Hermione was thinking about, but he knew Ron had an argument brewing and he would probably be on the receiving end of his anger tomorrow. Putting that aside, and what the Slytherins had said about them needing to go around with larger groups, Harry tried to focus on the positives of the first session of the Defence group, and found as he did so that this actually made him feel, for the first time...worth something. He was finally doing something that may help in the war against Voldemort, and helping others just get through classes and deal with the Ministry and Umbridge’s new DADA regime. He was helping to unite the houses in a school which had seemed so decisively split up, and Harry believed it was this that was most worthwhile. To bring together the best traits of every house, and become one against a world where people tried to create divisions and split people apart - not being a part of that and instead doing the opposite would be one of the most rewarding things of all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, just a warning, it starts to get a bit more angsty here. Also the abuse Harry faced at the hands of the Dursleys is also vaguely referenced so it gets a little heavier. </p><p>Hope you enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Over the next few days, the feeling Harry had gained from the first Defence meeting didn’t disappear and he found himself feeling lighter and more purposeful than he had for a long time. On Friday, he found himself looking forward to his meeting with Severus so he could tell his father all about it, and he almost ran to Severus’s office in his excitement to share this elation with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But when he opened the door to the office, he was surprised to see that Severus wasn’t sitting at his desk waiting for him as he usually was. Harry frowned, shutting the door behind him as he glanced around the room to make sure he hadn’t missed the man lurking elsewhere in the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no answer and Harry moved forward, a growing sense of worry spreading through his body and into the pit of his stomach. This was so unlike Severus that Harry couldn’t help but feel concerned for the man. He nervously approached the door that led to Severus’s chambers and knocked gently on the door, hoping that Severus would answer. There were so many reasons Severus might not be here, and Harry tried to not to think about the worst of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>And so relief spread quickly through him when he heard Severus shout, “Crap!” on the other side of the door and heard his heavy footsteps approaching the door. The door was thrown open seconds later and Severus stood before Harry, pale and tired looking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry,” Severus said, as if he hadn’t just forgotten they were supposed to be meeting just now, “Please come in.” Severus stood back from the door and Harry walked in, following Severus to the kitchen and slipping onto one of the stools next to the wooden counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must apologise, Harry,” Severus said as he pulled some mugs from a cupboard and set them on the worktop, “I completely lost track of the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure you didn’t just forget?” Harry said, a cheeky grin on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus cuffed Harry gently on the back of the head but had no response as he set about making them both coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just kidding,” Harry said, chuckling. “It’s fine. I don’t expect you to be on time everyday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus just nodded absently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Severus replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just...well...you don’t seem quite yourself,” Harry said, gesturing vaguely at Severus with his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve just been busy, Harry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“...Do you want me to go?” Harry asked, feeling more uncomfortable in Snape’s presence than he had for a while. Unlike all the other times he had been here, he just didn’t feel welcome at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine. Just give me a second to finish these coffees, Harry, and then you can tell me all about your week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and fell silent then. He could feel the tension radiating off Severus and he didn’t want to add to his stress. Maybe he should have just insisted that he left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the coffees were ready, Severus handed a mug to Harry and they both went to sit in the adjoining living area, the cool green and grey colours a stark contrast to vivid red and gold of Gryffindor, and though Harry loved Gryffindor dearly, there was something calming about these colours that his own house colours didn’t always offer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sat in one of the green armchairs, curling his legs beneath him, as Severus took a seat in the other one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, how are you? Tell me about your week.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m good actually. We had Quidditch practice this week. We got soaked though because the weather was awful. But it was nice to be in the air again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus smiled. “I’m pleased to hear Umbridge gave you permission to carry on with your Quidditch team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Are you? I thought you’d be hoping for the opposite considering how well we fare against the Slytherin team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus laughed. “Well, there is that. But just because we’re in different houses doesn’t mean I won’t be rooting for you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Harry said, grinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What else have you done this week? Have you got that Potions essay done yet?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet, but I’m getting there. But we did manage to find a place for this Defence group to practice and we gathered there on Tuesday for our first session.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It’s good to know where your priorities lie,” Severus said, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know me,” Harry quipped. “Anything to avoid schoolwork.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” Severus said, but Harry could tell he was just teasing. “So how did this group go anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Better than I expected if I’m honest,” Harry replied eagerly. “I decided to start with the disarming charm. I know it sounds simple but I thought it would give me an indication of where everybody was at and when we got started, it was clear that there was definite improvement to be made too. Everyone seemed to enjoy it as well, so that was good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s brilliant, Harry, and a wise idea too. I would have done the same thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked down, beaming and blushing, not used to a father’s praise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you know what the best part was?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“After I’d given everyone a talking to, the others didn’t give the Slytherins any trouble. I mean, granted they didn’t really speak to them either, but I think that’s better than arguing and throwing horrible spells at each other the whole time. They all seemed really nice too, but I think they were nervous, understandably so. But it will be a good opportunity to get to know them. And Hermione even practised with Draco, and I think they were getting along pretty well, they were well matched anway and I think that helped -”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Draco was there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Er, yeah,” Harry said, “And some other Slytherins. I thought, as we’d been getting along pretty well, he and the others deserved a chance to join the group if they wanted to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus stood up abruptly then and moved away from Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Severus? What’s wrong? What’s the problem?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Severus bit out, his hands turning white as he gripped the shelf above the fireplace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s obviously something. You can trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Severus was silent for a moment and then he said, with a great strain as if he was trying to control his temper, “Can you just please...be careful who you’re hanging out with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I am careful. Where has this come from?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, you’re acting just like James! Just stop asking questions and listen for once in your life!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry immediately shut up and before he knew what he was doing, he was slamming the door of Snape’s office behind him, only vaguely hearing Severus shouting for him to stop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry raced almost blindly through several corridors as he tried to make his way towards Gryffindor Tower, but the thoughts gathering in his head were powerful and he couldn’t push them aside. It was like they were smothering all of his other senses and it was only by pure luck that he was able to remain standing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He should have known that it was all going far too smoothly for it to last. He was just beginning to fully trust Severus, to feel safe with him, and now this. Was being James’s son all he was to people? It was rare when anyone ever spoke of his mother to him. It was mostly always James and he wasn’t even related to him. He felt chained by James’s legacy, a legacy he hadn’t even earned. Since the discovery, Severus hadn’t shown any hatred towards him when they were alone and he had begun to believe that Severus didn’t view him as James at all. It had been nice, freeing, to not have the weight of James’s heritage bearing down on him. But now...well, it had cut like a knife to his skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This wasn’t even the worst part though. Severus had driven the knife in deeper when he’d told Harry to stop asking questions. As their relationship had developed, Harry had started to believe that he’d finally be able to have a father, someone to turn to in times of need or not, someone to talk to about anything in the world, someone who wouldn’t be anything like the Dursleys (something he’d worried about when he’d first found out Severus was his biological father). But now, as his head filled with the voices of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon telling him to stop asking questions, he realised how wrong he was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry’s legs buckled and he fell against the wall of a corridor, slipping to the floor as he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands desperately against his ears, trying to block out the insisting, invading voices which were growing in number. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop asking questions</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop asking questions, boy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bad children don’t deserve answers to what happened to their freaky parents. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re worthless.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re a freak.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You should have died in that accident with your parents. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re less like your father than I thought</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re acting like James! Just stop asking questions and listen for once in your life!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A new voice broke through the sea of voices, a dreamy and comfortingly familiar voice and gentle pressure on his knee which drew Harry from his own mind. He dropped his hands from his ears and opened his eyes. Luna was kneeling next to him, looking solemn and concerned as she watched with wide, blue-grey eyes. Her dirty blonde hair was pushed behind her eyes and a mangled volume of </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Quibbler</span>
  </em>
  <span> lay abandoned next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luna?” Harry croaked. He suddenly became aware that his cheeks were damp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s right,” Luna said. “You don’t seem quite okay, Harry.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I - I -” Harry struggled to catch his breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take your time,” Luna said and moved from her current position to sit against the wall next to him as if she was prepared to stay with him for a little while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry took a few deep breaths and wiped at his cheeks as he tried to compose himself and make it look like he hadn’t just been having some kind of breakdown in one of the school corridors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he felt like he could speak, the first thing he said was, “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to apologise, Harry. Is there anything you need to talk about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry wasn’t sure what it was about Luna that compelled him to ask but before he knew it he found himself saying, “Do you see me as my father’s son?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luna tilted her head at him and Harry got the strange impression that she could see straight through him and into his soul. “Do you mean Professor Snape or James Potter?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, how -?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luna shrugged. “You wear a glamour and you sneak down to Professor Snape’s office every Friday evening, sometimes more regularly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know I'm wearing a glamour?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My mother was a very talented witch. She used to create a lot of potions, experiment with spells, you got used to knowing about glamours living under her roof. It’s a very good one though, I’ll give it that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t know what to say to this, and he didn’t want to ask how Luna knew he was down at the dungeons every Friday. He was stunned too that Luna knew about his true parentage and yet she didn’t seem to hate him for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, did you mean Professor Snape or James Potter?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I meant James,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, Harry? You shouldn’t dwell on if you’re like James, or Professor Snape, or your mother. People’s parents don’t define them. We are more than that. I thought you understood that, especially when you defended the Slytherins at the DA meeting on Tuesday. Speaking of which, I really admired what you did - inviting the Slytherins and defending them like that. We could all learn more than just Defence from you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt heat rising in his cheeks. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” Luna said, standing up and holding a hand out to Harry. “Let’s get you back to Gryffindor Tower.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry allowed Luna to help him to his feet and they set off for Gryffindor Tower in companionable silence. There was something about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Harry found her presence calming, and she seemed to have some kind of spiritual telling on what someone needed at a particular time. It was like she understood him and what he needed, something he hadn’t felt from anyone really since...well, since Cedric. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they reached the portrait hole, Harry turned to Luna. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you...for being there,” Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any time,” Luna replied, and gently placed a hand on his arm. “If you ever want to talk, I’m happy to listen. I better get going just now though, and I don’t want to get caught by Filch after curfew and I have a divination assignment I need to work on. See you later, Harry.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you later, Luna,” Harry said and watched the Ravenclaw girl skip back along the corridor the way they’d come. He entered the Gryffindor common room, his thoughts in various places. He threw himself into the nearest armchair and when he was accosted by Ron and Hermione having another argument, he didn’t even try to listen to what it was about. He was sure there were more important things than if Crookshanks chewed up Ron’s sock or not. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, thank you so much for the positive response so far! </p><p>This chapter remains angsty and Harry is obviously quite upset. From the last chapter and this one, it's probably going to be a bit heavier in terms of themes and emotional responses to things, differing a bit from canon. Harry's just struggling a bit. But I really hope in spite of the way I'm writing this story that I've managed to keep Harry in character. Also, some of it might seem a little unrealistic but I've done my best :)</p><p>I really hope you enjoy this chapter!</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Some of these lines are taken directly from J.K. Rowling's Order of the Phoenix.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>During the next two weeks, Harry avoided Severus, not even going to his Potions lessons. He was aware that Severus had been trying to talk to him, had even sent him letters requesting his presence, but Harry just could not face the man right now. Instead he threw himself into planning lessons for the DA, pleased with how everyone had been progressing: Neville had managed to successfully disarm Hermione; Colin Creevey had mastered the Impediment Jinx; and most people had slowly started to accept the presence of the Slytherins. Hermione had partnered with Draco on multiple occasions and their friendly competition was becoming one of the highlights of the sessions. The other Slytherins had also gradually started to come out of their shells and mix a bit more as Fred and George joked with them, and Luna paired up with one of them each time. He had still been having trouble getting Ron to come around to the Slytherins being there though. They had had more than one argument about it and it had started to negatively affect their friendship as Harry consistently defended the Slytherins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had also been difficult to fix a regular night for the meetings because of all the other societies people were part of them (primarily Quidditch) but Harry thought it was better this way for it meant there was no pattern to pick up on if someone ever became suspicious. It was a relief when Hermione had managed to create fake galleons, using a Protean charm, which would alert everyone when the next meeting was to be held.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amongst Harry’s work with the DA, Quidditch practice almost daily, his anxiety over the incident with Severus, and his regular nightmares, Harry’s classwork had been decreasing in standard, and that was at a push. He was lucky if he managed to get an assignment handed in at the moment. Thankfully, there hadn’t been much Defence homework at the moment because Umbridge wouldn’t hesitate to expel him from the school because of his falling grades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first Quidditch match of the season came around quicker than Harry felt prepared for and the day of the match found Harry and Ginny trying to coax Ron into eating something for breakfast as Hermione once again asked him why he hadn’t been coming to Potions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, Harry’s temper got the better of him and he wasn’t able to ignore Hermione any longer. “Can you just drop it today, Hermione?” Harry snapped. “I’ve got a match soon in case you hadn’t noticed.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Harry -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello,” interrupted a dreamy voice from behind them. Harry turned around to see Luna wearing a hat shaped like a life-size lion’s head. Harry grinned, relieved for Luna’s interruption, and instantly comforted by her quirky presence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m supporting Gryffindor,” Luna continued, pointing a little unnecessarily at her hat, “Look what it can do.” She tapped the hat lightly with her wand and the lion’s mouth opened wide to let out a realistic roar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s brilliant, Luna,” Harry replied, laughing, “Come have a seat with us.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luna smiled and grabbed a slice of toast as she settled happily onto the bench next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long after this however that Ron and Harry had to head down to the Quidditch pitch to get ready and Harry wrapped an arm around Ron’s shoulders as they went, helping the trembling boy make his way to the changing rooms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Ron,” Harry said, “You can do this. You’re a great Keeper. Ignore anyone who says otherwise.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy for you to say. You’re used to the attention,” Ron grumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry dropped his arm from around Ron’s shoulders. “You’ll do fine. I’ll see you on the other side of the match.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pure elation of Gryffindor winning the first match of the season lasted little more than two minutes. Harry had just managed to get back to his feet after being hit by the bludger and received a friendly handshake from Draco when Montague, a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team, approached them and the rest of the Gryffindor team who were all yelling and punching the air in triumph (with the exception of Ron who had gone straight to the changing rooms after his poor performance during the match). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Saved Weasley’s neck, haven’t you, Potter?” said Montague, “I’ve never seen a worse keeper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Back off, Montague,” Draco said, stepping slightly in front of Harry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get involved, Draco,” Montague said, “It would be easy enough to kick you off the team.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco looked at Harry who gave a slight shake of the head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, look at your new...what is it? A friendship?" Montague smirked as Draco backed off a bit and then readdressed Harry. "Do you think the Weasleys like you hanging about with the Malfoys, Potter? I thought you liked the blood traitors, spent holidays with them and everything. Can’t see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you’ve been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasley’s hovel smells okay -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fred and George who, like the rest of the team, had been listening made a violent move towards Montague, but Alicia, Angelina, Katie, and Harry, who was in the midst of trying to control his own anger, caught a hold of their arms and held tight to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Or perhaps,” Montague continued, “you can remember what your own Mudblood mother’s house stank like, Potter, and Weasley’s pigsty reminds you of it-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was unaware that he had even let go of George and found himself diving straight for Montague, beating the other boy to it as his fist connected with Montague’s face. He vaguely heard the others shouting for him to stop, but he couldn’t. It was only when he felt a firm grip on each of his arms and was physically dragged off of Montague that he stopped punching the boy. He struggled and thrashed in the grasp of whoever was holding him back, his only desire to give Montague (who was curled on the Quidditch pitch, clutching his bloody face) another feel of his fist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Harry, stop it!” Harry vaguely registered Draco’s voice close to his ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think you’re doing?” screeched Madam Hooch who was hurrying towards them. She immediately kneeled next to Montague, and as he watched her pry the boy’s fingers from his face, Harry was horrified to note that he almost felt satisfaction in Montague’s pain. As he came to this realisation, Harry stopped struggling, trying to ground himself to the reality of what he’d done. He could barely even remember doing it, but knew he had, as his knuckles throbbed with the action of it. He looked down at his own hands, noting the blood on them and knowing that he would have bruises on them to show for this soon. Draco and George slowly realised the firm hold they had on his arms but didn’t let go of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never seen behaviour like it - back up to the castle, Mr Potter, and straight to your Head of House’s office! Go! Now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry, who now seemed to be in shock, felt a tugging at his arm and he allowed Draco to pull him along to McGonagall’s office. Neither of them spoke but Draco remained a comforting presence showing neither disgust or fear towards Harry’s recent behaviour. He waited with Harry until McGonagall came marching towards them, red in the face, her nostrils flaring. This image would usually have worried Harry, but there was a more pressing concern, for it wasn’t just her coming towards him: Severus was with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mr Malfoy,” McGonagall said on her arrival, “You may go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draco nodded at the deputy headmistress, gave Harry’s arm a comforting squeeze, before heading off, not without hearing McGonagall shouting at Harry to go inside her office.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall pointed him into a seat in front of her desk and Harry slid into it as she and Severus stood in front of him, the Potions Master slightly behind McGonagall as he let her take the lead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Explain yourself!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shifted in his seat and mumbled, “Montague provoked me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Provoked you? He’d just lost, hadn’t he? Of course he wanted to provoke you! But what on earth could he have said that justified what you -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“He was insulting the Weasleys,” Harry said, and then quieter, “And my mother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt Severus’ eyes narrow in concern for him but he did not look at him. Instead, with this confession, he slouched further into his seat and picked at the skin around his fingernails, wishing he was anywhere but here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But instead of leaving it to Madam Hooch to sort out, you decide to give an exhibition of Muggle duelling, did you? Have you any idea what you’ve -?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hem, hem.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry looked round in his chair, but when he saw Dolores Umbridge wrapped in a green tweed cloak, he turned back around and mumbled, “Oh, for the love of Merlin.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall shot him a piercing look and Harry rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“May I help, Professor McGonagall?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Help? What do you mean, help?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, I thought you might be grateful for a little extra authority.” Umbridge came to stand next to McGonagall, eyeing Harry with something like triumph glittering in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You thought wrong,” McGonagall said abruptly to Umbridge before turning back to Harry. “Now, you had better listen closely. I do not care what provocation Montague offered you, I do not care if he insulted every person you care about. Your behaviour was disgusting and I am giving you a week’s worth of detentions! And if you ever -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hem, hem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” McGonagall said, her patience clearly wearing thin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think he deserves rather more than detentions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But unfortunately it is only what I think that counts, as he is in my House, Dolores.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, actually, Minerva -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey, you know what, Professor Umbridge?” Harry interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Potter -” McGonagall said just as Severus said, “Harry -” in warning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make your job easier. I quit,” Harry continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You what?” said McGonagall, incredulous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I quit Quidditch,” Harry affirmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Umbridge looked stunned for a moment, clearly having not expected this turn of events and now unsure of how to proceed. Internally, Harry smirked, his heart satisfied by this win against Umbridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Potter -” McGonagall tried again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. She was only going to ban me from the team anyway, weren’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well...yes,” Umbridge said, though her tone lacked its usual haughtiness. She seemed unsure for a moment but then suddenly seemed to gather herself as she delivered her next statement: “The Weasley twins will have to be replaced too for I’m sure that if Mr Potter hadn’t got there first, they would have attacked poor Montague as well. The rest of the team may continue playing, however. I saw no violence from them.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not fair!” Harry said, outraged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need to control your temper, Mr Potter, or being off the Quidditch team will be the least of your worries,” Umbridge said, and with a last smile, she left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment and then McGonagall sighed and sat down, saying, “She’s right about one thing, Mr Potter - you do need to control that temper of yours. It’s going to get you in big trouble one day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It hasn’t already?” Harry said, slouching further into his seat as Severus pulled up a chair next to his Head of House.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry -” Severus started, leaning forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you here,” Harry snapped, shooting a scowl at the man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus sat back, his jaw clenching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mr Potter! You cannot address Professor Snape in that manner. He is here merely because he was concerned that you haven’t been attending your Potions classes and now you have attacked a member of his House.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Montague deserved it,” Harry muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twenty points from Gryffindor. Now, Harry, Professor Snape isn’t the only one who has come to me expressing their concerns about class attendance and homework assignments. I don’t need to remind you that you’re sitting your official OWL exams this year, but you’ll be resitting them next year if your work doesn’t pick up. I’ve got a list of grades for the homework you have handed in but they’re not promising, and I don’t think I need to remind you that I still haven’t received your latest Transfiguration assignment.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t respond, just stared at his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>McGonagall sighed again but it was gentler somehow, concerned. “Harry...is there anything you need to talk to me about? Anything at all I can help you with?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a split second, Harry thought about it, wondered how it might feel to tell McGonagall everything, to trust her with everything he was. But he didn’t think he could stand another dismissal or another kind of betrayal. It was safer to keep things to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” McGonagall breathed. She didn’t believe for a second that Harry was fine but she had resigned herself that for the moment Harry wasn’t going to say anything else. “Off you go to Madam Pomfrey. She’ll clean up your hand. We’ll have another chat about your school work next week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stood up and headed for the door. He hadn’t looked at Severus again. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“And, Harry, if there is ever anything, my door is always open to you,” McGonagall called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Harry nodded and left McGonagall’s office, slamming the door behind him. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter - it might feel a bit rushed but I was trying to get the plot moving a bit so I'm sorry if it's not done very well. I hope you can still enjoy it though! :) </p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Some of the lines are taken directly from J.K. Rowling's Order of the Phoenix.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Angelina was obviously very angry when she heard that Harry had quit the team and Fred and George had been banned from Quidditch. After they had told her the news, she had sloped off to bed. Harry had felt terrible about the twins being kicked off because of something he did, but they didn’t blame him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you hadn’t beaten up Montague, we would have, so we would have been in this situation anyway,” Fred had said, shrugging. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the team had gone to bed soon after, leaving Harry and Hermione (and later Ron when he had stopped sulking over his poor performance during the match) in the common room only to find out that Hagrid was back. Upon hearing this, Harry had hurried to get his Invisibility Cloak, shaking it out over the three of them so they could sneak down to see him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, they did not return in the same spirits. After hearing all about Hagrid’s ventures with the giants and then being interrupted by Umbridge who was already appearing like she was going to have Hagrid removed from the school as soon as possible, the trio arrived back at the castle, miserable and worried about what Hagrid had planned for Care of Magical Creatures as Umbridge would use any excuse to get rid of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so it hardly came as a surprise when during their Care of Magical Creatures lesson the next day, Umbridge arrived halfway through Hagrid’s lesson on Thestrals, a creature only Harry, Neville, and Theodore Nott were able to see. Aside from Umbridge's presence in the class, Harry found he enjoyed the lesson. He felt a profound affinity with the thestrals, finding that in spite of their skeletal looks, they had pure hearts, completely different to what one might expect of a creature one can only see if they have seen death. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On Monday the following week, Harry forced himself to attend Potions. He knew deep down that he couldn’t avoid the class forever as much as he wished he could and at least going might get McGonagall off his back for a little while. In his absence, Ron and Hermione had joined up with Hermione and Neville and still appeared to want to work with them. Ron looked at him apologetically but Harry shrugged and threw himself down at a table with Draco and Daphne.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Snape’s gonna have your head,” Draco hissed while they waited for their Professor’s arrival, “You haven’t been here for a few weeks. We thought you’d dropped out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Nope,” Harry said, casually, “I just didn’t want to come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Gosh,” Daphne said, “I wish I felt brave enough to do that. I’m so glad I don’t have to take Potions next year. It’s not even Professor Snape, I just can’t do the subject.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled. He and Daphne had been getting on well at DA meetings and it was nice to sit with her and Draco in class for a change. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Mr Potter, you finally decided to bless us with your presence in class," Severus said, having suddenly appeared as he did, and adopting his usual tone he used with him in class. Harry tried to tell himself that it was just for show. "I had begun to wonder if The Boy Who Lived had thought he'd become too good for this class."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry ignored him, keeping his head bowed low as he tried not to get angry. He was relieved when Severus decided to just walk away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Harry had expected, Severus asked him to remain behind after class. He tugged three essays from his bag and handed them to </span>
  <span>his father </span>
  <span>the Potions Master. Severus was clearly surprised to receive them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione kept me updated on everything I was missing,” Harry mumbled, “That’s all the assignments I missed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Harry,” Severus said softly, “And how is work going for you other subjects?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus stared at him for a moment, and Harry swallowed under the man’s scrutiny. After a moment, Severus said, “Harry, I think it’s important that we talk. I think I have some apologies to make.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I think I do too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus shook his head. “No. No, you don’t. Now, would you be able to meet me at my office at our usual time on Friday?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hesitated but then slowly nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At his nod, Severus seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. “Thank you, Harry, thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry just nodded again, and left the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hadn’t been this nervous visiting Severus since the beginning of their developing relationship. He found it hard to actually go, his heart telling him that he shouldn’t, that it would only result in more hurt, while his head told him that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed to hear Severus out. The thing was that he had been trying to put distance between him and his growing feelings towards Severus, trying to detach himself from the man who he had begun to see as his father and in his head called his father. The trouble with this was that he hadn’t really been able to, in spite of what Severus had said to him. With the exception of this incident (and lessons of course), Severus had been really good with him, had been pretty much exactly what Harry could desire from a father, and he knew that he could easily forgive him, if it wasn’t for the fear that it could happen again, and Severus couldn’t promise it wouldn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he arrived at Severus’s office, he knocked softly on the door, hoping Severus wouldn’t hear it and therefore he could leave without feeling guilty because it was Severus who hadn’t answered the door and not him that hadn’t gone down. Alas, he was out of luck, for the door opened almost immediately as though the man had been just waiting for that knock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry,” Severus said, clearly relieved that Harry had turned up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come in,” Severus said and stepped back from the door, letting Harry in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Severus took Harry through to his quarters and told Harry to take a seat. He made them both a cup of tea and then came to sit with his son. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, I...I’m so sorry about what I said to you,” Severus said, jumping straight in with his apology. “There is absolutely no excuse for what I said and I don’t think you’re like James - it was a stupid thing to say. I’d had a hard week and I took it out on you, and I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry had a sip of his tea, letting the fruity flavours settle on his tongue as his brain processed Severus’s apology.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate that,” Harry finally said, “But I said that I would go if you had a lot going on and you said it was fine when it clearly wasn’t.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know,” Severus said, his face pained. “I can’t express to you how much I regret what I said. If I could go back and change it, I would. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, I know that. You’ve already forgiven me more than you should have. I just - I just wanted you to know how sorry I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
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  <span>His head dropped and he stared down blankly at his cup of tea. Harry swallowed, unsure how to respond to this Severus - he had never seen the man lose his dignity but now it appeared like he was almost begging for Harry’s absolution. Harry hated it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He placed his mug down and knelt down next to Severus, taking one of his hands. Severus looked at him, Harry squeezed his father’s hand, and, before he knew what he was saying, said, “I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean to. I’m sorry for not hearing you out. I should have spoken to you long before now and I’m sorry I wasn’t more understanding.”</span>
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  <span>“Harry, thank you, thank you. And you don’t need to apologise. I understand,” Severus said and placed his mug on the side. His other hand came to rest on the back of Harry’s head and he pressed a kiss into the messy hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry wasn’t sure what had just happened, why he had so easily forgiven Severus again. Maybe it was because he desired the affection (physically and emotionally), like this, that Severus did give him, maybe it was guilt. But whatever it was, Harry hoped that he hadn’t just made a huge mistake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the arrival of December, Harry and the other fifth years found their workload increasing, and Harry didn’t think he’d spent as much time in the library. While Hermione and Ron were busy with prefect duties, Harry avoided the Gryffindor common room, finding no solace in the noise there, and took refuge in the peace of the library. Sometimes he was joined by Luna and Astoria (who were in the same year and had become good friends through the DA meetings), but more often than not he found himself in the company of Daphne, Theo, Blaise, and Tracey, all who were in his year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Christmas approached, Ron told Harry he was coming to the Burrow for Christmas and though he was looking forward to getting away from Hogwarts and seeing the Weasleys who had always treated him so kindly, he couldn’t help sparing a thought for his Sirius and Severus. Though he and Sirius hadn’t spoken since Harry hadn’t wanted Sirius to risk getting caught in the fire, he couldn’t help but feel bad that Sirius might be cooped up in the darkness of Grimmauld Place, all alone for Christmas. And then there was Severus. It felt wrong not to be spending Christmas with him considering he was his family but Severus hadn’t brought it up in any of their meetings so Harry didn’t either. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had a last DA meeting before the Christmas break in which Harry found out Ginny had replaced him as seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Fred and George had also been replaced (something which he was still thoroughly annoyed about despite the fact that the twins seemed too preoccupied with other stuff to care). He was pleased for Ginny though and congratulated her, feeling only proud of her. He didn’t feel the loss of Quidditch as keenly as he had expected too. In fact, he was in a way relieved as he found that it had given him time to try and catch up on work he hadn’t done. Since the Quidditch match, Professor McGonagall had spoken to him a few times, mostly discussing his school work. She was pleased to see that he was actually making an effort now, but was disappointed that his grades weren’t improving. It was only Care of Magical Creatures he was actually doing okay in as he was getting Exceeds Expectations for most assignments. However, in his other classes he was sitting on Acceptables if he was lucky. He didn’t know why he was struggling so much. He guessed it just seemed a bit pointless, a bit worthless, and so he struggled with motivating himself. He knew McGonagall and Severus were both worried about his dropping grades but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this, here in the DA meetings, this meant something. Not only to him, but to everyone who attended. It had given him something to get up for. Seeing how well everyone had progressed and improved made his heart swell with pride. But not only were their skills in Defence improving. The relationships they had built that term were stronger than ever, both within their own houses and outwith them, particularly in terms of the Slytherins. Currently, Draco and Hermione were laughing together; Luna was talking to Astoria; Ernie Macmillan was having a debate with Blaise over something; Ron and Neville had struck up a conversation with Tracey; and the twins were handing Theo a puking pastille who was looking at it dubiously and back at the twins with great concern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent the session just going over spells and jinxes they had already done, more of a review session, as Harry felt it stupid to start something new when this would be their last meeting for a little while. At the end of the hour, Harry called the meeting to a close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re getting really good,” he said. “When we get back from the holidays, we can start doing some of the big stuff - maybe even Patronuses.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This created a clear ripple of excitement through the group and Harry smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you all after the holidays then. I hope you all have a good one,” Harry said before he began to tidy up the room. Ron joined him while Hermione was having another chat with Draco as everyone else filed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they collected scattered cushions, Ron and Harry kept glancing over to where Hermione and Draco were talking quietly together. Draco was saying something and Hermione was blushing but laughing at something he’d said. Ron looked at Harry who shrugged but left them to it. He didn’t look at them again, feeling like he was an observer to something he shouldn’t be privy to. He caught Ron looking a couple of times, but managed to refrain from glancing over again himself. It made him realise how close Draco and Hermione were really becoming. He had seen them talk a few times outside the session too, but there was clearly a closer part to their relationship now that Harry hadn’t noticed before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you later, Harry! Ron,” Draco called. </span>
</p><p>
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  </span>
  <span>Harry spun around, abruptly jerked from his thoughts, and saw that Draco was leaving. Harry raised a hand and said, “Bye, Draco!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” coughed Ron, “Bye, Malfoy.”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>Draco smirked and seemed to skip slightly from the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked at Hermione who was now clutching a rectangular, wrapped package, and still had rosy cheeks. She glanced at Harry and Harry gave her a knowing smile. She seemed to go slightly pinker at his look but she smiled before helping him and Ron finish tidying up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, Hermione and Harry were sat on the floor next to the fire, finishing their last pieces of homework before the end of term while Ron was immersed in a game of Wizard’s Chess with Seamus. Though Seamus and Harry weren’t on speaking terms, Harry had encouraged Ron to remain friends with him, not wanting to come between their relationship as he knew they got on well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry was puzzling over his Herbology essay when he glanced at Hermione who was, in an un-Hermione-like fashion, staring into the flames of the fire instead of doing her homework. Harry observed her for a moment and then said, “Are you okay?”</span>
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  <span>Hermione seemed startled from her thoughts. “Oh, yes, thank you.” She looked back down at her piece of parchment onto which ink from her quill had been dripping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dear,” Hermione whined but it was easily fixed with a flick of her wand and muttered incantation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you a personal question?”</span>
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  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione squinted at him and then cautiously nodded her head at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you...is there something going on between you and Draco?”</span>
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  <span>Hermione blushed again and took a second to compose herself before saying, “Well, I wouldn’t say there is something going on between us, but, well...we talked and discussed the issues we had in the past with each other and we just got to know each other better...and, well, I like him. He’s actually...I don’t know, kind? You know, when you get past the tough exterior. And he’s smart too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled. “Yeah, he acts tough, but he’s all bark and no bite.”</span>
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</p><p>
  <span>“He gave me this,” Hermione said, her fingers grazing the top of a parcel lying next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s nice,” Harry said. </span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fell into a comfortable silence again after that and some tension seemed to ease from Hermione after having spoken to Harry about her and Draco. They worked steadily for another half an hour before Ron interrupted announcing he beat Seamus and that they were off to bed. Hermione and Harry looked at the time and decided that it was probably time for them to go to bed too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hadn’t realised how tired he was until he fell into bed, pillows soft beneath his cheek, but he found himself thinking about Cedric. Christmas last year had brought the Yule Ball. Though Cedric had attended with Cho and Harry had gone with Parvati, they had somehow managed to sneak away from the ball itself for a while, finding themselves in a deserted corridor with the music dimmer but still heard from where they were. They had had their own dance in that corridor, away from the eyes of others, their foreheads together as they swayed slowly round on the spot.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sighed and came back to the present where Ron was snoring loudly in the bed next to his and Neville snuffled slightly in his sleep. Somewhere outside the castle, an owl hooted. He felt his eyes flutter close as another wave of exhaustion washed over him and he found himself falling into darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dream started innocently enough, but it soon changed and he found himself slithering through a corridor with objects shimmering in stange, vibrant colours. On a first glance, the corridor appeared empty but it wasn’t - a man was sitting on the floor ahead, his chin drooping onto his chest, his outline gleaming in the dark. Harry put out his tongue, tasting the man’s scent, finding him alive though drowsy. He felt the urge to bite the man, but controlled the impulse due to the more important work he was set to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then suddenly the man was stirring and a wand was withdrawn quickly from his belt. He had no choice. He reared high from the floor and struck once, twice, three times, plunging his fangs deeply into the man’s flesh, feeling his ribs splinter beneath his jaws, feeling the warm gush of blood. The man yelled in pain before falling silent and slumping back against the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry! Harry!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry woke up, cold sweat dripping down his body, bed covers twisted around him, his forehead pounding with pain. Ron was standing above him, looking terrified. Other figures were surrounding his bed but he couldn’t focus on them. He clutched his forehead desperately, trying to rip the pain from him, but then his stomach lurched and he rolled over and vomited over the edge of the mattress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s really ill. Should we call someone?” Harry couldn’t place the voice but they sounded scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry!” Ron shouted, trying to get his attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry felt so sick, and he felt like he couldn’t breath with the pain in his forehead but he knew he had to tell Ron what he had seen. </span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“Ron, your dad,” he panted, “Your dad’s...been attacked…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you on about?” Ron said, not understanding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your dad,” Harry said through the agony, shivering slightly, “He’s been bitten, it’s serious, there was blood everywhere…”</span>
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  <span>Harry fell back against the pillows, clenching his eyes shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going for help,” someone said and he heard someone leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, mate,” said Ron uncertainly, “you...you were just dreaming…”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“No, Ron, it wasn’t a dream. You have to understand, it was real, I saw it, I...I…”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>Harry gave a vicious shiver and retched again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, you’re not well,” Ron said shakily. “Neville’s gone for help.”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“Ron, I’m fine. It’s your dad you have to worry about. We have to find him - he’s bleeding like made - I...it was a huge snake.”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>Harry tried to get back out of bed, but Ron stopped him. He heard two voices whispering together but ignored them, pushing against Ron’s grip. He needed to find someone to help Mr Weasley. Soon enough though, Neville came back and with him Professor McGonagall in a tartan dressing gown and looking extremely worried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Relieved that someone had listened, Harry tried to stand up. Ron pushed him back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Professor, Ron’s dad, he’s been attacked -”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“Slow down, Potter. You don’t look well at all. Where does it hurt?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine! You have to listen to me! Ron’s dad...he’s been bitten by a snake. It’s bad. I saw it happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
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  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know...I was asleep and then I was there and -”</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>“You mean you dreamed this?” McGonagall said sharply. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“No! I was there. It wasn’t a dream. This was real. Someone needs to find him, he was attacked by a gigantic snake in a corridor, I don’t know where, and he collapsed and -” Harry stopped, looking at McGonagall who looked at him as though horrified at what she was seeing. “I’m not lying and I’m not mad!” Harry shouted. “I tell you, I saw it happen!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
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  <span>“I don’t think you’re mad, Mr Potter. I believe you,” said Professor McGonagall curtly. “Come on, put on your dressing gown - we’re going to see the Headmaster.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first work so any comments or suggestions would be welcome. This is a WIP and will be updated every Sunday. Thank you for the positive response so far.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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